Time Wounds All Heels
by Ennon
Summary: Craig's parents' and stepdad's history along with other players. Ch 6 here. STORY COMPLETE
1. Birds of a Feather

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"Time Wounds All Heels"

by Ennon

Disclaimer: 'Degrassi:The Next Generation' and all its characters are trademarks of Epitome Pictures and I'm making no monies off this fanfic.

A/N- We know how Craig's entanglements turned out by the time of 'Holiday' but did his late parents have there own previous to that? Read on and find out for yourselves.

"Birds of a Feather" (Chapter One)

Toronto, April 1995

32-year-old Dr. Albert Manning was in his office at the large hospital working on a chart in the late afternoon.

"Dr. Manning, S.A. Brewster is outside and wants to see you about. . ." Sylvia Baintree (a 20ish attractive redhead) insisted on the pager phone.

"Tell this Brewster that I've got a consultation and can't be bothered! Get Dr. Watley on the line, Sylvia!" Albert insisted.

"Yes, Doctor!" Sylvia replied.

"Steve! You free? Good! Meet me in the club for a squash game in thirty minutes!" Albert insisted- as he ducked out the back door of his office.

In shorts, t-shirt, tennis shoes, white socks and protective goggles, Albert and his friend from prpe school, college, medical school and now the hospital were entering the squash court.

"Anything wrong, Albert?" Stephen asked.

"Just those pharmaceutical companies are getting more aggressive with these sales pitches. You'd think Canada's red tape would. .."Albert started to say but couldn't help but notice a tall, woman shoulder-length black hair in a white tennis skirt that accentuated her prominent upper story and long legs, tennis shoes, socks and protective goggles standing outside the plastic enclosure watching.

"Earth to Albert," Stephen exclaimed.

"Right, Steve! Let's get started!"Albert insisted.

Albert served but was somewhat distracted and Steve kept scoring while Albert kept missing the ball to the brunette's amusement. Finally, Albert hit it and served it so hard that he hit Steve in the shin.

"Man! I'm so sorry! It'll. … " Albert started to say.

"I know. I know. I'll get some blue ice from first aid. It's a good thing you never hit my arms or hands when you lose," Stephen groaned.

"Well, wouldn't want to have to add your casework to mine!" Albert laughed as Stephen opened the enclosure door and limped away clutching his right shin.

"Hey! Don't you have something better to do than distract. ..?" Albert snapped at the brunette.

"_Trés magnifíque_!"she exclaimed.

"Look, I wasn't trying to hurt Stephen and. ..why am I explaining myself. You're not a club member!" Albert exclaimed.

"I was hoping to master squash and you look like you could teach me!" the brunette exclaimed while batting her eyes.

"Why don't you go back to. .? Sorry, I didn't meant to be rude!" Albert groaned.

"Not many squash courts in my home village outside Chicoutimi, Quebec ," the ld brunette laughed.

"And you are. ..?" Albert asked.

"Call me Adéle! I think you'd be a worthy teacher," Adéle exclaimed.

"Are you always this forward?" Albert laughed.

"Only when I want to get what I want but enough about me! How about teaching me the finer points of squash?" Adéle asked.

"And what would I get?" Albert leered. 

"We can negotiate that after the game!" Adéle exclaimed.

About half an hour later.

"Gotta tell ya! You put up more of a challenge than most opponents! You've played this game before!"Albert insisted as they finished the match and started walking away from the court.

"Among others," Adéle cooed.

"Not that many women like squash. Julia has no co-ordination so. .." Albert started.

"Your wife, eh?" Adéle asked.

"How did you . ..?" Albert asked.

"In my business, one learns everything they can about their clients!" Adéle laughed.

"You mean you're. ..?" Albert leered.

"A pharmaceutical sales representative!" Adéle gloated.

"S.A. Brewster?!" Albert burst out laughing.

"The initials and my ex's surname have served me well! " Adéle insisted.

"Care to make any further negotiations?" Albert asked.

A few hours later at the Manning Residence. ..

"Mom, how much longer do I have to practice the finger scales?"7-year-old Craig asked.

"Another 45 minutes, _hijito_!" the 27-year-old brunette named Julia Ibañez Manning replied. 

Julia had wavy waist-length brown hair, brown eyes, slim and was of average height but stunning beauty who wore a purple sweater, black slacks and boots.

"But why can't I rock like Clapton and Van Halen?"Craig asked as his mother sat down beside him on the sofa and strummed on the fine inlaid-wood guitar a few chords. 

"Your grandfather would have prefered you follow Andre Segovia's footsteps but you're making the guitar come alive!" Julia beamed as the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Craig insisted.

"No, I'll get it! You keep practicing the scales!" Julia exclaimed as she put down the guitar.

"Dad! Yes, she's here! I'll put her on!" Craig insisted.

"Hello, Albert! Oh, you won't be home until late tonight? Late casework?No, I understand. I'll see you then," Julia sighed as she put down the phone.

"Dad's going to be late, right?" Craig asked.

"He has his reasons! Now, I need to practice something of my own on this guitar," Julia sighed as she proceeded to strum a machine-gun paced and very angry flamenco song on the guitar.

"I'm glad you calmed down! Now can I rock?" Craig asked his mother a few hours later.

"Sure! " Julia beamed as Craig proceeded to strum and sing the words to 'Yellow Submarine'.

" Dad!" Craig beamed as he put down the guitar.

"Craig, you know how that stuff gives me a headache," Albert snapped as he stormed into the house.

"Craig, you need to go up and check on your homework! Your father and I have some things to talk about!" Julia pleaded with an edge to her voice that spurred Craig to run upstairs.

"You're still teaching him that crap, Julia, at this hour?" Albert asked.

"You hadn't called and. .. "Julia explained.

"When I tell you I only want you two to play that crap before 5PM, I mean it! Albert sneered.

"Albert, how about some dinner? I've saved a plate for you" Julia offered

"I already ate," Albert snapped.

"But you didn't tell me you'd be eating out . ..," Julia insisted.

"Don't you be changing the subject on me! And I told you I didn't want to have to hear that crap playing when I came home," Albert growled as he grabbed her wrist.

"Albert, it's a useful skill and. ." Julia pleaded.

"That crap's spoiled my evening for the last time!" Albert boiled as he let go her wrist and made a beeline for the inlaid-wood, Spanish guitar.

"No, it's Papa's! He'd have wanted his only grandson to have it!" Julia pleaded as she grabbed it protectively.

" I'm sick of hearing about that dead old man and Spain! You're my wife and Craig's my son!That's it!" Albert snarled as he hit her in the back of her hand- causing her fingers to fingers to let go of that guitar which he then grabbed from her and smashed it over the mantle.

Craig ran from his post at the top of the stairwell and ran into his room when he saw and heard that.

"Papa! " Julia burst into tears as she saw the 150-year-old mahogany and ebony inlaid-wood classical guitar smashed into splinters.

"Shut up- and clean that mess up!" Albert boiled as he hit her in the right temple with the ruined guitar neck then stormed into his office. 

Craig waited until he was sure Albert was gone then tiptoed downstairs.

"Mom, are you alright?" Craig whispered as he touched her sore right temple.

"I'll be fine as long as you are!Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't able to pass along your grandfather's guitar!" Julia sighed as they hugged.

A few days later at the private club. .. 

"I think I'll pass on that salad. I need to freshen up," Julia exclaimed as she left Albert at the table.

In the ladies room, Julia scrubbed off her opaque makeup from her face and then started to reapply it to her temple bruise.

"Oh, I'm out of foundation!" Julia sighed as she opened her compact and looked at her bruise in disgust.

"I have some foundation in your shade. Perhaps, I could help," someone said before Julia had the chance to see her.

"And you are. .?" Julia asked.

"Adéle Duvallier Brewster!" Adéle exclaimed as she handed her the makeup.

"Julia Ibañez Manning- and thanks!" Julia exclaimed as she took Adéle on her offer and took the makeup.

" You only have an accent when you say your name," Adéle pondered.

" Oh, I was born in Spain but Papa was a diplomat so I've lived in Canada since I was six- and you only sound Quebequois when you say your name!" Julia considered as she started applying the makeup.

"No need to tip the Anglos off too soon!" Adéle laughed.

"I suppose," Julia pondered.

"May I ask what happened? " Adéle asked.

"Well. ..:Julia sighed.

"Don't try to tell me you fell," Adéle sighed.

"No, actually it was the result of being part of a very tiresome game!" Julia groaned.

"I've played a few of those myself but I always win!" Adéle insisted.

"Julia let's go!" Albert was heard to exclaim outside the ladies room door.

"Here's your makeup back!" Julia sighed.

"Keep it and I think we can serve each other quite well!" Adéle insisted- as she looked Julia in the eye as Julia was leaving the ladies room.


	2. Gift of the Nile

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"Gift of the Nile" (Chapter Two)

by Ennon

Disclaimer: "Degrassi:The Next Generation" and its characters are owned by Epitome Pictures and I'm making no monies from this fanfic.

Toronto, Queen's Park- Autumn, 1995

Adéle was sitting on a park bench intently reading 'The Wall Street Journal' when she was approached by a somewhat plainer, dark-haired woman of average height.

"Adéle! What are you doing in Toronto?"the woman asked.

"Clothilde? After Fred and I split, I thought this would be as good a spot as any to restart my life. You still with Jean-Paul?" Adéle asked.

"Oui. I'm still happily Clothilde DeMonBreum Sauvé!" Ms. Sauvé exclaimed.

"And trying to save the world. Is it still worth saving?" Adéle asked.

" Yeah. How about you?"Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Just my little corner,"Adéle shrugged.

"I got an free morning and I was hoping to see the Royal Ontario Museum. Would you like to join me?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Happy to and there's someone there I'd like you to meet! Let's go!" Adéle exclaimed as she put down her 'Wall Street Journal' and the two started walking over to the nearby ROM.

Royal Ontario Museum- Egyptian Collection.

"Are we going to see Cleopatra's mummy today,Miss Julia?" 7-year-old Terri MacGregor asked as the 2nd graders from Degrassi Elementary were being given a tour and the majority of whom were laughing at her question.

"No, dear. Cleopatra was from the Ptolemy Dynasty who were all Macedonians- not native Egyptians so they didn't mummify their departed," Julia explained as she led the group to look at a large wooden sarcophagus in a glass case with the mummy still inside. She wore a nametag atop her white blouse, along with her dark green knee-length skirt, red hose and red pumps.

"So what's the big deal behind the Ancient Egyptians?" Ashley asked.

"They invented so many things that we use to this day! Everything from makeup to the pyramids but no one knew what their hieroglypics were about or who these Egyptians really were for over 1400 years until the Rosetta Stone was deciphered in the early 1800's by a Frenchman named Champollion," Julia beamed.

"Why are we studying these old dead people?"7-year-old Gavin 'Spinner' Mason asked.

"Because if we know history and as much about the world around us, we can unlock so many things about ourselves- just like the Rosetta Stone did for the Egyptians!" Julia beamed.

"This princess sure has a killer wardrobe," 7-year-old Paige Michelchuk beamed.

"Did they have any dinosaurs in Ancient Egypt? I wanna see dinosaurs!" 7-year-old Jimmy Brooks insisted.

"You remind me of my son Craig but the Ancient Egyptians were quite fascinating on their own. Now take a look at where our princess is resting. It's called a sarcophagus!" Julia exclaimed.

"So what?" 7-year-old Gavin 'Spinner' Mason scoffed as he playfully shoved Jimmy.

"Sarcophagus is a Greek word that means 'flesh eater'!"Julia exclaimed.

"Ewww! Gross!" Ashley, Terri and Paige all exclaimed.

"Cool!" exclaimed Spinner.

"But the Ancient Egyptians didn't want them to eat the flesh so they mummified and preserved the body in many ways! Did you know that they even took out the brains?" Julia asked.

"Wow!" the Degrassi schoolkids exclaimed.

"Impossible! The princess's skull's intact!" 7-year-old Ashley scoffed as she look at the partially unwrapped mummy.

"They used a long metal hook and went up into the nose then picked out the brains bit by bit!" Julia insisted.

"Whoa!" Jimmy gasped.

"So that's what happened to you, Spin!" Paige teased.

"Ha! Ha!" Spinner taunted.

"Excuse me, but would it be okay if we joined your group?" Adéle asked.

"Certainly! We'd be glad to have the company! " Julia exclaimed as they continued the tour.

A little later. .. .

"Julia, I know places where you and Craig would be safe,"Ms. Sauvé insisted.

"It's not Craig's safety I'm concerned about as Albert has never struck him but I don't want him to see Albert treat me like that and think this is acceptable,"Julia groaned.

"Remember, just give me a call and I'll get you to Clothilde who will take the two of you to where you need," Adéle insisted.

"It was good to meet you,Clothilde. Thank you, Adéle, for drawing me out and trying to help these past months. I need to get back home soon. Albert doesn't mind my volunteering at the ROM but everything must be perfect and on time at home," Julia groaned as she left the ROM cafeteria.

"Too bad such a cultured and sophisticated lady must endure all that," Clothilde Sauvé groaned.

" I can't argue that," Adéle sighed.

" I hope I can help her but it's been so long since we were back in our village. Tell me what's new! Any beaus since your split with Fred?" Ms. Sauvé asked with a laugh.

"Oh, several but I'm not about to remarry anytime soon!" Adéle laughed.

"Anyone special?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"I don't want to jinx anything by mentioning anything prematurely," Adéle giggled.

"Never mind. Even with Jean-Paul, with all the terrible things I encounter in my work, it's good to see others are doing well," Ms. Sauvé insisted.

About a week later Julia was at the Manning House was on the phone with Adéle late at night- having waited for Craig to go to sleep and knowing Albert was on ' a late case'.

"Julia, the plan is to meet me in the cinema tomorrow afternoon at three then I'll give you Clothilde's safe house address and I'll let her know you and Craig will be on your way,"Adéle insisted in a most compassionate voice.

"Oh, I've never had a friend like you! I wish I could repay. .." Julia sighed.

"I know but just remember you DO deserve to have friends like me in your life. _Au revoir_!" Adéle beamed as said goodbye and hung up the phone..

Julia was trying to take in everything that had happened over the last few months- as well as her entire life since her father had died when the phone rang a few minutes later.

"Hello! Hello?" Julia exclaimed but she could hear laughter on the other end- as well as sounds of the throes of passion. She was about to hang up when. .. 

"And did you hear me tell her she _deserves_ to have friends like me?" Adéle cruelly laughed.

"Yeah, and I like how she said she wished she could repay YOU!" Albert guffawed as the two kept laughing and panting amorously.

"Oh, I think a good share of her father's inheritance should do nicely, Albert! _Mon amour_!" Adéle cooed.

" Yeah, she'll sign over the whole thing to keep Craig's name from being dragged down with hers! I hope he'll never believe her nor want anything to do with her again!" Albert sneered.

"And then you can send him off to boarding school and the two of us can be free to do what we want to her and everyone else!" Adéle beamed.

"And I wish I could see the look on your friend Clothilde's face when we set Julia up in the safe house, plant drugs on her, then have the place raided. All those females getting thrown out on the street! Show me how you made yourself cry and look in her eyes when you dragged her story out again! You're such an incredible actress. I could take lessons from you to snow people!" Albert laughed at the same time as Adéle.

At that Julia hung up the phone literally shaking with rage. Not wanting to waken or burden Craig, Julia drove a block away then screamed at the top of her lungs while crying her eyes out. Julia put together that either Adéle or Albert had rolled over Adéle's cellphone in their passion and had accidently hit the redial button with Julia's number but had no idea what had happened while they unknowingly revealed their true colors to their intended victim.

A few days later, Julia was out shopping. ..

"Julia! Wait up! What happened? Did Albert hurt or threaten you again?" Adéle asked.

"I'm busy and I have nothing to say to you! You are to address me as _Mrs. Manning_!" Julia boiled.

"Julia? Wait! We're friends!" Adéle insisted as she looked into Julia's eyes.

"Correction, I was your friend but it wasn't mutual," Julia raged.

" Julia? Wait! Let's talk this thing out and. .."? Adéle pleaded.

"Mrs. Manning to you!" Julia boiled.

"Alright, Mrs. Manning but. .." Adéle gulped.

"No more talking anything with you- and I'll do everything in my power to see that my offspring never has to be exposed to the likes of you!" Julia boiled as she walked in the other direction but Adéle followed her.

"Qualities. .? I . .How did you find. ..I mean . .what do you mean. .?" Adéle asked.

"I'm not going to tell you! Just consider God in His Infinite Mercy opened the window to the **real** you!. All those times you pretended to care when you were reveling in my suffering - and I doubt I'm your only prey! Adios and adieu which means 'to God' in our respective mother tongues!" Julia stormed off.

A few days after that at the Egyptian Collection of the Royal Ontario Museum. . .

"Julia, are you okay?" Ms. Sauvé asked as she approached Julia having just given a tour.

"No, but I'll work out on my own what to do,Clothilde," Julia sighed.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Yes, I didn't want to put those poor souls at your shelter at risk," Julia groaned.

"What are you talking about? From Albert?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Not only him but. .. others!" Julia groaned.

"What?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Perhaps your experience with Adéle won't come back to bite you but she's every bit as evil as she pretends to be nice," Julia seethed.

"I grew up with her in Quebec. She's had some problems but . .. ." Ms. Sauvé insisted.

"Fine! It's your choice to make excuses for her and to disbelieve me but don't pretend you weren't warned,Clothilde," Julia snapped.


	3. Power of Love

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"Power of Love"(Chapter Three)

by Ennon

Disclaimer:"Degrassi:The Next Generation" and its characters are all properties of Epitome Pictures and I'm making no monies off this fanfic.

Toronto,Summer 1996

"Do you think Dad will be happy?" 8-year-old Craig asked as Julia was pulling their blue Mercedes up to their driveway in the late afternoon.

"I'm not sure, _Hijito_, but this is something we all could benefit from!" 28-year-old Julia sighed.

"Craigger! Go upstairs while Mom and I discuss something!" 33-year-old Albert ordered as he ran barefoot out the house to the garage holding his golf club.

" I wasn't expecting you home so soon! Did the patient cancel their operation?" Julia asked.

"That's none of your business! What are you two plotting?" Albert asked accusingly.

"Nothing. I just got a wonderful job offer from ROM!" Julia insisted.

"A job? You don't need to work! What will our neighbors and my colleagues think if you're out working?" Albert sneered.

"It would be during the mornings when Craig's at daycamp and you're at the hospital. I'd have plenty of time to . .."Julia explained.

"Why would they want to pay what they can get for free?" Albert scoffed.

"Albert, people from all over come to that museum- and I speak four languages! It's an honour and a privilege to be offered. .."Julia insisted.

"Who did you have to f--- to. ..?" Albert sneered.

"How DARE you! " Julia boiled after slapping Albert in the face.

"Don't you EVER. .!" Albert boiled as he hit her in the ribs with the golf club.

"You accused me of dishonouring our vows and used vile language! If Papa were alive. . .." Julia seethed while holding back tears.

"You think he could help you now? Try to get to any job in this!" Albert boiled as he smashed every window and all the headlights in Julia's car with his golf club before making a few dents in the doors, hood and trunk.

"Please, no!" Julia pleaded before Albert kicked the headlight with his bare right foot.

"Ow! I cut my foot! Look what you made me do!" Albert boiled as he clutched his bleeding right foot.

"Craig, run to the medicine cabinet then get bandages and iodine!" Julia grabbed his right foot to stop the bleeding then shouted to Craig (who she thought incorrectly hadn't heard or seen anything).

"But that stings!" Craig shouted back.

"We don't want your father's cuts to get infected!" Julia insisted- as she helped Albert lean on her while he hopped back into the house on his intact left foot.

"Here's some money to get the car fixed! You know I love you too much to hurt you!" Albert insisted later that evening while the two were in bed.

"I know what I know," Julia sighed as she took the large amount of cash.

"No hard feelings?" Albert asked.

"Now why would I have hard feelings?" Julia asked.

"That's my Spanish Lover Girl!" Albert beamed as he hugged her while Julia rolled her eyes not sorry that Albert went straight to sleep after that.

The next afternoon at Prescott's Used Motors, Julia pulled up her battered Mercedes onto the lot.

"Mom, why didn't we take it to the body shop?" Craig asked.

"They wanted far more than what your father had given me, our insurance wouldn't have covered the difference and I'm in no mood to humiliate myself further to ask for more money," Julia sighed.

"Whoa! That's some model you got there!" a brown haired,bearded young salesman insisted.

" I was hoping Fred Sanford would take it but your lot was closer!"Julia insisted.

"You're funny, Lady!" the saleman laughed.

"And you are. ..?" Julia asked.

"Joey Jeremiah at your service! You must be this big kid's sister!" 24-year-old Joey insisted as he shook first Julia's then Craig's hands.

" Would you believe his grandmother?" Julia replied.

"Oh, that's a good one!" Joey laughed.

"Mom," Craig groaned.

"Hey, why aren't you laughing? You've got a beautiful,razor-sharp, funny Mom there!" Joey beamed- as he looked directly in Julia's eyes with great affection.

"Flatterer! I'm here to trade this car for a less expensive but drivable model," Julia insisted as she tried to avert her glance towards him.

"Let me see what we have in stock- and could I ask you to meet me tomorrow morning alone so we could discuss the sale?" Joey insisted.

"Depends on what you're selling," Julia blushed.

"Oh, that's a great one!" Joey guffawed.

"Don't you ever quit laughing?" Julia asked.

"Not as long as you're smiling. You look like you could use the practice!"Joey insisted.

"I'll be back _mañana_ at 10 sharp- with my husband!"Julia beamed while holding up and tapping her wedding ring.

"I got what you're saying but I think we can negotiate," Joey beamed as he clutched her left hand and squeezed it which prompted a squeeze back and a blush from Julia.

" I must be going but I'll keep the appointment," Julia said trying to sound professionally crisp but nonetheless purring.

"So Mr. Jeremiah wants Mom to come back tomorrow and we'll get a new car!" Craig insisted that evening at dinner while Julia scooped the saffron rice next to the roast beef on Albert's plate at the Manning Residence.

"A new car? Didn't I give you money to fix the old one?" Albert asked.

"The bodyshops are quite expensive and I could get something reliable for my errands and volunteering. The insurance alone would pay for itself! You're welcome to join me in negotiating," Julia insisted while carving a slice of roast beef.

"Nah, I've got too much a caseload tomorrow! Besides, there's no chance anyone else would want you for more than a . .." Albert sneered.

"Albert! Language!" Julia pleaded while jerking her head in Craig's direction.

"I was going to say quick sale!" Albert scoffed.

"Everything looks in order and I think even with the bodywork, we can make a tidy profit off this car and give you another one, Mrs. Manning," Joey insisted at Prescott's Used Cars the next morning.

"Your wife must get tired of your flirting," Julia shrugged.

"Oh, I'm not married,"Joey sighed.

"And, despite your long hair, I don't think you're gay!" Julia insisted.

"Good one!" Joey laughed.

"What's it like not being married?" Julia asked.

"What did you say?" Joey asked.

"I can't believe I asked that," Julia groaned.

"I once was going to in high school. A girl named Caitlin Ryan who I adored but I stupidly cheated on her and blew the whole thing," Joey groaned.

"And you've been trying to fool yourself into thinking being a playboy's a worthy substitute for having a good,loving marriage and family ever since," Julia sighed.

"Gee, you sound like my Ma!" Joey laughed.

"I guess we mothers of boys know our sons never quite grow up!" Julia purred.

"So, I take it you got married real young, eh?" Joey asked.

" I was eighteen when Albert and I met and nineteen when we married," Julia explained.

"Why so young?" Joey asked.

"Papa was a Spanish diplomat and we lived in Ottawa but he was very old. Eighty,"Julia sighed. 

"Whoa! That's something!" Joey gulped.

"He'd lost his first wife and their family in the Spanish Civil War and Mama died when I was a baby. We were all we had and he doted on me like fine china! But he took ill and needed a bypass and Albert was a med student then. He took such good care of Papa and promised him on his deathbed that he'd always take care of me," Julia sighed.

" And has he?" Joey asked.

"Oh, the first year was wonderful then he resented Craig being born and taking up my time. I shouldn't have burdened you,"Julia groaned as she got up to leave then squirmed as she clutched her sore ribs.

"Julia! You're hurt! Did Albert do that to you?" Joey asked as he tenderly touched her right side.

Julia started to cry.

"Oh, I should have separated from him ages ago but he's never done anything more than shout at Craig and there's never been a divorce in my family in 700 years!"Julia sniffed as she sat back down.

"You need to start taking care of you! " Joey insisted.

"I shouldn't have. .." Julia sobbed.

"I can accept if you walk out of here and never see me again but whatever you decide about you and me, I want you to be safe. .and I want you to be happy instead of just trying to make others happy!" Joey insisted.

"But I don't want Craig to have to. .." Julia groaned.

"He won't be happy unless you are- and I don't think your Papa would want you or Craig to keep living like that- 700 years of no divorces or not!" Joey pleaded.

"You're right. May I call you Joe? You're too wise to be a Joey and you're no kangaroo baby!" Julia asked.

"You can call me anything you like!" Joey beamed while laughing.

A few months later. .. .

"I'm going to move into a small apartment with Craig. Then when I'm free, we'll marry then move in together! I have enough from the car's value to have us last until then," Julia insisted as she and Joey hugged in his classic red car outside the Manning House.

"But how can you be sure Albert will agree?" Joey asked.

"Papa taught me that the first rule of negotiation is to give the other side as much as possible what they want but make their non-acceptance less pleasant than their acceptance would be!" Julia insisted.

"And what do you have in mind?" Joey asked.

"To give Albert what he loves and cherishes more than anything else in this world! Something he'd never willingly relinquish!"Julia beamed.

"You mean. . .? Are you sure you can live without. … ?" Joey asked as he gasped.

"There's nothing worth more to me than the happiness of those I love! Any other questions?" Julia beamed as she massaged Joey's scalp.

"You think if I shaved my head I could feel your fingers better?" Joey laughed.

"Oh, Joe!" Julia scoffed.

Julia walked into the house and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to pack some of my belongings and be gone! I've written down the name of a good maid service for you! Joey's outside and is waiting for me!" Julia said with a gulp as she started to climb the stairs.

"Julia, hold on! Let's talk this out!" Albert pleaded.

"No, there's nothing to talk out. You can have Adéle and everyone else you want from now on," Julia groaned.

"Julia, she means nothing to me! You can't leave me! I _love_ you!" Albert pleaded.

"Albert, I stayed much longer than I should have because I did love you but you destroyed that! Love to you is as valueless as it is to a courtesan. Bait for others to get what you want but not to actually give," Julia seethed.

"Julia! Listen to me!" Albert pleaded.

"No, I'm through listening to you! You listen to me! I have drawn out the terms for a No Fault Divorce. In exchange,you will receive all the remaining monies of my Papa's inheritance and Craig's visitation two weeks every summer and alternating Thanksgivings and Christmases," Julia insisted.

"And if I don't agree. ..?" Albert asked.

"Then, I will sue you for every dime Papa left me and drag our family's laundry through the mud for all your colleagues and neighbors to see. I've put dated pictures, documents and other evidence of your adultery and abuse in a place you will never find- and I won't hesitate a moment to use them if you ever raise a hand or otherwise harm Craig! That includes having him exposed to that horrible Adéle," Julia warned.

"Jealous, eh! That's why you did all this!" Albert sneered.

"No, actually ,you two almost deserve each other,"Julia pondered.

"You think you've won but he'll grow up and understand what kind of a s--- mother he has!" Albert boiled.

" He knows there's no amount of money I'd have ever taken to have given him up for! EVER! For his sake and the sake of the love we once shared, I'll spare him knowing that you had no hesitation in giving Craig up for what my Papa would have wanted him to have," Julia seethed.

"Are you going to bring up my tuition and. … "Albert boiled as he picked up a golf club.

"It's good Papa's money helped you hone your gift to save so many lives. He'd have wanted that but money doesn't make the ignoble noble! " Julia insisted.

Craig returned from school a minute later.

"Are you ready, _Hijito_?"Julia asked as she kissed Craig.

"Yeah, I'm all packed! Goodbye, Dad! I look forward to seeing you again!" Craig gulped as he went upstairs with Julia after he and Albert hugged.

"Don't think this is over!" Albert seethed.

"Well?" Joey asked as he helped the two of them load up a suitcase each into his car.

"He signed the papers. Now we just have to file," Julia beamed as she and Craig got in the car before the three drove off.

"So she's divorcing you? Now we can. .. .!" Adéle squealed with delight as she hugged Albert later that evening at her apartment.

"Not just yet! There are a few things I have to take care of," Albert exclaimed as he hugged Adéle back.

"Albert? Let me in!"Adéle boiled as she banged on the Manning Residence door for the first time ever with suitcases at her side the next day.

"ALBERT MANNING!! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE WITH SOME S--T!"Adéle screamed before stomping back to her car and driving off in an angry fury.

Meantime, at the Registrar's Office. .. .

" What do you mean you haven't been able to serve the Final Papers to Albert Manning?" Julia asked.

"Our process server tried to find him at his residence and contacted the hospital but he's gone to do medical missionary work in the Sudan and can't be contacted!" the official said.

"It's okay, honey! We can wait," Joey insisted as he clutched Julia's hand.

"But our poor baby. I hope he or she forgives me for us not being married now!" Julia sighed as she and Joey held hands.

"I want this baby so much! She's going to be beautiful like her mother!" Joey gushed.

"How can you be so sure?" Julia sighed.

" I can sense she's a girl and how could she not be beautiful and smart?" Joey insisted.

"And Craig won't have to be an only child anymore!How I love you, _Amor_!" Julia beamed as she and Joey kissed.

"So what happened with Albert and the squash ball again?" Joey asked.

" He slammed it too hard when Craig was six months old and it bounced off the court wall and struck him so he couldn't ever have any more children!"Julia sighed.

"Served him right!" Joey laughed.

"Joe, it's not funny. I mean you should have seen how mean he was to poor Stephen for so long afterwards. I felt sorry for him- as naïve as he's been about Albert," Julia groaned.

"Oh, I can't imagine how I lived without your making me laugh!" Joey gushed.

"And I almost can't remember how I lived without your laughter brightening my life!" Julia beamed while she and Joey kissed.


	4. Saffron Times

****

"Saffron Times" (Chapter Four)

by Ennon

Disclaimer:"Degrassi:The Next Generation" and its characters are owned by Epitome Pictures and I'm making no profit whatsoever from this fanfic.

A/N- I want to give a shout-out thanks to Ava for her diligent and faithful reviews. What does Albert do next about Craig? You'll find out soon. I'll hold off the 'insisted' for speaking styles.

Toronto - May,1997

"Vancouver! I've always wanted to go there!" Joey shouted as he ran into Julia's apartment.

"What a wonderful opportunity this will be!" Julia beamed as they hugged- and Joey stroked her 7-months pregnant abdomen.

"What's the matter? You don't want to leave the ROM?" Joey asked.

" Vancouver 's where I want to be but it's just not fair to our baby that he or she have to share our limbo," Julia groaned.

"That damned Albert! Leaving Canada just so he couldn't get served the Final Papers and we couldn't get married," Joey growled.

"I know but he can't stay out of the country forever. He has to get his passport renewed one day and. .. oh, why didn't I think of that sooner," Julia exclaimed with glee.

"What is it?" Joey asked.

"Want to see us get the last laugh on Albert for a change?" Julia laughed.

"Yeah, I'd do anything for that!" Joey exclaimed as Julia grabbed the phone and started keying in a number while Joey wrapped his arms around her expanded waist.

"Hello, Pam? It's Julia! Your cousin the Ambassador is due to return to Khartoum in three days, right? Well, there's something I'd like him to carry in his diplomatic pouch!" Julia laughed while Joey hugged.

In a refugee camp in Southern Sudan. . . 

"The British Embassy is rewarding me with the Immaculate Arthur Conan Doyle Citation tomorrow?" Albert asked while on the radio (while in khaki shirt, shorts and boots) in a large tent.

"Yes, Dr. Manning! It's in honour of your service to these victims of the ongoing civil war. We're holding the presentation tomorrow in Embassy in Khartoum!" a voice over the shortwave radio proclaimed.

"As much as I hate to leave this refugees , I must make the sacrifice to accept the citation in order to generate as much publicity as possible to their plight. What time tomorrow?" Albert asked.

"11:30 AM!" the voice exclaimed.

" I'll get there by then!" Albert shouted with glee.

"But what about these refugees?" another doctor asked.

"They'll keep coming with or without me," Albert shrugged.

Khartoum, June 3,1997

" Man, it was great getting out of that hellhole, take a real bath and get back into a suit again," Albert exclaimed as he walked into the British Embassy in Khartoum while looking at the nearby Nile River.

"Dr. Albert Manning, I presume?" a distinguished middle-aged gentleman asked at the front desk.

"Yes, sir! And you're. .. .?" Albert asked.

"Ambassador Cheatham. ..and there's been a change of venue. We must do the presentation across the street right this way!" Ambassador Cheatham explained.

"But. ..? " Albert sputtered.

" They're having a birthday party in the embassy presentation hall but our colleagues were happy to oblige us. Oh, since we want you to look your best for any photographs. I'd like you to hand me your glasses for the time being," Ambassador Cheatham beamed as the walked across the Khartoum street to another gated embassy.

"But I'm near-sighted without them," Albert sputtered.

"You'll need to show your passport," a guard exclaimed as they reached the embassy.

"It's Dr. Albert Manning and he's with me!"Ambassador Cheatham said adamantly while Albert handed over the passport for inspection.

"You're on the list. You may enter. Welcome to the Canadian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan,"the guard replied.

"Canadian?" Albert asked.

"A proud member of the Commonwealth and happy to oblige. Now that we're inside, in front of all our staff, I'm returning your glasses and presenting you your citation!" Ambassador Cheatham exclaimed.

"But. .. these are my. .. FINAL DIVORCE PAPERS?!" Albert boiled.

"Yes, as the Canadian Ambassador, I'm legally empowered to serve you these and since we're on Canadian territory that means that you've now been formally served with them and with that you and the former Julia Ibañez are each free to remarry. My staff's sending cablegrams and e-mails to the proper Canadian authorities as we speak!" Ambassador Cheatham beamed.

"This isn't the Immaculate Arthur Conan Doyle Citation?!" Albert gasped as he looked at the document.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Ambassador Cheatham proclaimed.

A/N- Arthur Conan Doyle was the creator of Sherlock Holmes and immaculate comes from the Latin for 'not soiled'.

Toronto, June 1997

"You want me to sleep with the stripper, Dave?" Joey asked at his bachelor party a few days later.

"Sure! It'll be your last chance before tomorrow!" his onetime classmate Dave exclaimed at the club.

"Joey doesn't want to hurt Julia," Archie 'Snake' Simpson protested.

"Yeah. She's seven months along carrying my baby! I wouldn't want to hurt her. .and what's weird is that I can't even imagine sleeping with anyone else anymore,"Joey gulped.

"Well, you know what that means!" Dave exclaimed.

"Guys! No! I was drunk when I said that!" Joey laughed.

"You're drunk now,"Dave chortled.

"But. .." Joey protested.

"Roll that video!"Dave exclaimed.

"Not have one last screw at my bachelor party? No way! I'd shave my head before I passed that one up!" the image of 18-year-old Joey exclaimed on the tiny monitor connected to the portable video player.

"Well, I DID want to feel Julia's fingers on my scalp better," 25-year-old Joey shrugged as Dave started shaving his head.

"Glad I never said anything like that on tape! No way am _I_ shaving my head!" Snake laughed.

"Oh, for that reason, I'll always love your shaved head!" Julia exclaimed with a rich laugh when she saw it for the first time when he came back to her apartment that night while she hugged and kissed the surface.

Toronto, Canada-Saturday, June 14,1997

"And by the power vested in me by the Province of Ontario, I hereby declare these two to be husband and wife. You may kiss the bride! I present to everyone Mr. Joey and Mrs. Julia Jeremiah," the minister proclaimed in the very same church that would be used five years later for the wedding of their Best Man and Matron of Honour- Archie 'Snake' Simpson and Christine 'Spike' Nelson.

"How did I do, Mom?" 9-year-old Craig asked- pulling at the neck of his suit collar at the reception hall in the church's basement.

"You did an excellent job of giving me away!" Julia exclaimed before she kissed Craig on the right cheek..

"Mom!" Craig groaned.

" I want to dance with Joey so how I about you dance with that little Emma?" Julia asked- having taken off her face veil from her red hat. She wore a large maternity blue suit with mid shin-length skirt and red flats.

"Mom? Do I have to? She may try to kiss me!" Craig groaned.

"As if!" 8-year-old Emma protested.

"Christine, I'm sorry about. .." Julia half-laughed while covering the right side of her face with her right hand.

" Don't! It's kind of refreshing. Before we know it, they'll start noticing the opposite gender, then our troubles will REALLY start!" Spike laughed while their offspring reluctantly danced together.

"Let's get this party rocking!" Joey boomed as he pulled Julia towards him while the two of them hugged and danced.

"Are you sure about this, Jeremiah?" Archie 'Snake'Simpson asked.

" I think we wrote that song way back then for this very moment!" Joey beamed.

"But I wasn't in . .." a middle-aged man in a tux protested.

"Mr. Prescott, I can't repay you for teaching me to be the best salesman possible and I'll miss you in Vancouver," Joey exclaimed- as a photograph of Mr. Prescott, he and Julia was snapped .

"I couldn't be more proud of you if you were my own son!" Mr. Prescott exclaimed.

"Let's do it!" Snake exclaimed.

Joey, Snake and Mr. Prescott did a slow serenade version of . . .'Everyone Wants Something They'll Never Give Up'.

" And now I've found someone I'd take nothing or no one else for!" Joey exclaimed while he and Julia hugged afterwards.

"You think your two friends will one day see that they're _more_ than friends?" Julia asked.

"Spike and Snake? Nah, they're too set in their ways and too shy!" Joey shrugged.

"But even wallflowers can bloom! I mean of all the people in all the world, I doubt any of our friends would have thought we would have chosen each other!" Julia laughed with Joey.

"Why not? You've freed me in more ways than you can possibly imagine!"Joey beamed while he and Julia kissed.

"_Amor_, no matter what happens, this day will give us strength in the times ahead! Did I tell you the one about the rabbi, priest and mullah. .?"Julia asked as she whispered into Joey's ear.

"What?! Where did you hear that one!" Joey asked after he burst out laughing at the punchline.

"You'd be surprised the kinds of jokes one picks up eavesdropping on diplomatic corps dinners!" Julia wryly laughed. 

As the wedding party exited the church basement with Joey helping Julia up the stairs.

"Craigger! You look more ready to be married than just about anyone else here!" Albert laughed- as he showed up outside- in his khaki safari shorts, shirt and chukka boots.

"Dad! You're back from the Sudan?" Craig asked.

"Aren't you going to give your old man a hug?" Albert asked while Craig gulped then ran up to do so.

"We didn't expect you . .." Joey said a bit tensely.

"Well, life seldom lives up to expectations! Craig told me in our last phone call that you're going to Vancouver in two weeks. How about I give you guys a honeymoon present by taking Craigger off your hands til then? I've booked a yacht and we can go sailing in the Bay of Fundy til then!" Albert exclaimed.

"Can I Mom?" Craig asked.

"You 'll have lots to do these next two weeks before BC,"Albert proclaimed.

"But we didn't plan. ." Julia sighed.

"The decree you drew up says I get to have my son for two weeks in the summer. .and I've already missed seeing him six months," Albert noted.

"Very well, but two weeks is all! Oh, be careful, my son!" Julia pleaded as she hugged Craig.

" I will, Mom! I love you!" Craig exclaimed as he and Albert walked away.

"He seems nice,"Spike pondered.

"Seems is the key!"Julia groaned.

"Are you okay, Julia?" Joey asked as he hugged her.

" I won't be til all three of my loved ones are under my roof again but I'm not going to spoil these two weeks we have to ourselves. They may get to be the last extended time we get to ourselves the next eighteen years!" Julia wryly laughed and patted her abdomen while Joey joined her.

" He knows the train for Vancouver leaves in another ten minutes. I can't believe your ex would put you through all this,"Spike sighed as she, Joey and Julia were in the Toronto Train station two weeks later.

"I wish I could say I was surprised, "Julia groaned.

"If Albert's not back, I'm calling the police," Joey insisted.

" What for? I brought Craig back in one piece two weeks minus one minute after we left!" Albert exclaimed as he and Craig came from behind.

"How does he just pop up like that?" Joey asked in a whisper.

"A gift,"Julia replied while she eagerly hugged Craig.

"Oh, Mom! Joey! It was the most awesome two weeks I've had! We followed a pod of whales and went fishing and windsurfing. .and look what Dad got me!" Craig proclaimed.

"A camera?" Julia asked.

"You keep saying you want him to be well-rounded and it a lot faster than your painting!" Albert laughed.

"Well, I've reserved the dome car for when this train takes us through Rockies so Craig will have lots of chances to put that camera to good use!" Joey exclaimed.

"I'm going to miss you, Son!" Albert said with a gulp as he hugged Craig then left the scene.

"Me,too! Dad" Craig gulped.

"Craig, want to help me load up these last bags? " Joey asked.

"Okay! Looks like Mom wants some girl talk," Craig laughed.

"Thanks for all your advice and talks these past few months. You've been a good friend. I wish that your friend Caitlin had come to our wedding. I wanted to thank her in person for helping to mold my Joe into the wonderful man he is today. I'd want her to raise my children," Julia beamed while holding onto her abdomen.

"Julia, 29's still young!"Spike consoled.

" I know but a mother always wants to make sure her offspring have the best care possible- even if she's not able to do so herself," Julia said with a deep breath.

"I know! That's why I've made Lucy Emma's guardian if anything happens,"Spike explained.

" I have to confess that, a year ago, I'd have looked down upon you," Julia groaned. 

"And maybe I'd have thought you were some stuck-up prude princess," Spike laughed.

"But this year has changed me more than any other. I feel like I'm an entirely new woman and I'll miss you and our other Degrassi friends in Vancouver,"Julia exclaimed as she hugged Spike before taking Joey's arm and letting him and Craig help her up the train steps on their way to start their new life in Vancouver.

Friday, August 15,1997 in a maternity room at a hospital in Vancouver, 9-year-old Craig was holding a video camera and taping the proceedings. He and Joey were in hospital scrubs and masks.

"Look at those feet fly!" Joey laughed as he handed over his daughter and Julia cradled the minutes-old baby girl in her arms.

" I told you she was dancing in my womb! The new Ginger Rogers!" Julia laughed.

"She has your hair and nose," Joey beamed.

"And your ears and eyes! Both my babies were born with a full head of hair!" Julia proudly exclaimed in her maternity bed . 

"And look how she's grabbing at your zinnias!"Joey laughed.

"She just wants them out of the way for her first meal!"Julia happily declared as she discreetly opened her hospital gown enough and moved the yellow zinnia bouquet out of the way.

"What shall we name you?" Joey asked as he helped cradle his newborn daughter.

"Angela! All my life, I've thought of my own mother as my own angel and I want my little one to know that I'll be watching her,too!"Julia proclaimed as she looked into Angela's blinking eyes.

"She sure doesn't cry like one!" Craig laughed.

"Tell Angela why you like the color yellow so!" Joey pondered.

"It reminds me of Saffron Times!" Julia laughed while cradling the newborn Angela closer to her bosom.

"Saffron Times?"Joey asked with a laugh while he climbed into bed next to Julia,stroked his newborn daughter's curly hair then hugged Julia.

" Saffron's harvested a single day of the year from purple crocus flowers in Spain and quite delicate but, once dried, it becomes the most precious spice in the world. It just takes one dark orange saffron stigma to turn a pot of rice into a rich golden yellow with the rice's natural flavor enhanced. Papa used to say there'd be 'saffron times'. Times so precious that the mere memory of them would strengthen us through bleakness and help us appreciate how wondrous life itself can be!" Julia beamed as she kissed her newborn daughter Angela on the lips.

"Mrs. Jeremiah, you're not sterile!" a nurse exclaimed aghast at the sight of Julia kissing her daughter.

"Of course not! Otherwise, I couldn't have had these two!"Julia laughed as Joey joined her.

"Nurse,instead of getting phobic, how about doing something useful and holding this camera? "Joey asked the nurse while Craig handed her the camera.

"Craig, join us in welcoming your baby sister into our family! Angela, meet your big brother Craig!" Joey happily exclaimed while Craig walked to the other side of Julia's hospital bed and joined his mother and stepfather in a warm embrace over Angela.

Vancouver Airport, October, 1997.

Joey and Julia were somewhat bundled up and carting their two-month-old daughter Angela around while Craig was holding the camera up to Angela's carrier.

"Craig! You will remember to call us on the cell as soon as you land?"Julia pleaded.

"Yes, Mom! Do I have to wear this stupid 'Unaccompanied Minor' sign?" Craig groaned.

"We've been through this many times. You do! Oh, and I've already talked to all the flight attendants about you. They'll each be sitting beside you on the plane in turn so you don't have to talk to any strangers,"Julia cautioned.

"I think that should cover it, Jules!"Joey laughed.

"Relax, Mom. I'm not gold,"9-year-old Craig shrugged.

"To us you are! Now, if your father or Dr. Watley don't arrive or answer their phones, what are you to do again?" Julia asked.

"Have the flight attendant book me on the next flight back to BC," Craig groaned.

"My brave baby boy flying across most of Canada," Julia sniffed as she hugged Craig.

"Not without the plane! Let me go on so I can go!" Craig pleaded.

"Goodbye, Craig! Take good care and call us Thanksgiving Day!" Joey beamed as he hugged Craig.

"Joey, you're as bad as Mom! Dad's changed. He was much better during that vacation than ever before!" Craig beamed as the three hugged and he picked up his baby sister before walking onto the boarding ramp.

"Julia, you worried about Craig?" Joey asked as they watched Craig's plane take off for Toronto.

"I'd like to think Albert's change for the better was sincere but. .." Julia sighed.

"It's only a week! What can happen during. ..?" Joey asked.

"Joe, what a ridiculous thing for one parent to say to another!" Julia scoffed as she and Joey clutched onto their baby daughter.

"So, you won't be spending Thanksgiving with me," Adéle snapped at Albert at that same time as they each redressed themselves in the master bedroom of the Manning House.

"It's Craig's first Thanksgiving without his mother," Albert groaned.

"You said that that Cape Breton vacation was 'damage control'," Adéle sniffed.

"Look, he's not ready to meet you yet! If I'm to have any counter-effect on him, I've gotta convince him I'm more moral than Julia,"Albert snapped.

"Oh, you poor thing. So exhausted from having to hide the 'real you' for those two weeks in Cape Breton. Do you think you can manage a week here?"Adéle laughed.

"You're my light at the end of tunnel! Not to mention, I like how you iron the sheets after we've wrecked the creases!" Albert laughed while he and Adéle hugged.

"And you thought you'd have to totally rely on a maid service after Julia left," Adéle giggled.

"There's no maid in the world I can be myself with the way I am with you!"Albert laughed.

"I've picked up everything. I'll see you as soon as Craig leaves! _Au reviour, Amour_!"Adéle beamed as she and Albert hugged.

"Craigger!" Albert boomed as he retrieved Craig from the flight attendents at the airport gate.

"Dad! Wait'll I tell you all about our new duplex!" Craig happily shouted as he hugged Albert.

"Craig, you are not to ever mention to me anything about the woman who bore you or her current family," Albert snarled in a voice low enough for only Craig to hear as he hugged Craig in a rather constricting grip.

"Okay,"Craig gulped with a sinking feeling.

"It's so great seeing you again! Wait til I tell you all about our Thanksgiving plans!" Albert boomed without a trace of hostility notable to passersby in his voice as he carried Craig's carry-on bag.

As soon as they pulled up to the Manning House, Craig knew something was terribly wrong. Julia's herb garden was no longer lining the sidewalk, nor were the rose bushes visible. Craig quickly looked around the yard and noticed that every flower and plant Julia had planted were gone with holes filled hastily with dirt and straw in their place. Even at nine, Craig could tell that Albert had uprooted every one Julia's plants. With a shudder, he entered the house carrying his carry-on bag while Albert led the way. Gone was the Manning Coat of Arms on the mantle that Julia had painted as well as her heirloom Persian rugs and antique furnishings. Every solo picture of her was gone and, yes, her image was torn out of every picture that she'd appeared with her son and former husband. Craig silently went upstairs to his old room. Craig's clothes and shoes were exactly as he'd left them almost a year earlier-albeit now outgrown but Albert had also destroyed every one of his images of Julia in that room. Oddly, when he walked by the master bedroom, he noticed a strong odor of gardenia perfume and sniffed. Albert noticed this.

"Oh, I guess it's some of your mother's perfume," Albert shrugged.

Craig turned around in puzzlement- as this was the first mention of Julia's existance since he'd arrived in Toronto.

"OK, I got a new maid," Albert scoffed- remembering that Julia would only apply a slight touch of rosewater to the nape of her neck for special occasions.

"OK, Dad," Craig replied uneasily. He wasn't about to make things worse by asking questions.

Thanksgiving Dinner proved rather tense with every bite going down like lead and few words being spoken in the cavernously silent house. How Craig had wished they'd gone out. At least in public Albert would be animated in public. Then, Craig absently put a glass on the dinner table and Albert's jaw clenched.

"Who the Hell do you think you are f---ing up my table with rings?!" Albert seethed and he started to swing at Craig with his right hand but he stopped in midair.

"Dad?" Craig asked as he felt threatened even though Albert hadn't actually hit him- ever.

"Eat your Yorkshire pudding," Albert snapped.

"MOM! " Craig exclaimed as he ran off the plane in Vancouver a week later practically knocking her down as he hugged her.

"Whoa there! You ought to become the Seattle Seahawks front line!"Joey laughed.

"Craig! You're safe! Your father was. . good to you, right?" Julia asked.

"He fed me and. .. kept me out of the cold,"Craig gulped.

"I'm sorry it didn't go better for you," Julia groaned.

"Mom, it was fine! I was joking!" Craig nervously laughed.

"Stupid slut! Don't ever wear that perfume again!" Albert boiled when he visited Adéle's apartment around this same time.

"So have you told Craig about us?" Adéle asked as she tried to hug him

"No- and your bug spray set things back so it may take longer than I'd thought of,"Albert snapped.

"And how about your hospital colleagues?" Adéle asked.

"I told the day maid to start wearing the gardenia perfume when she cleans during Craig's visits," Albert groaned as he hugged Adéle.

"Julia?"Joey asked her late that night in bed as she was finished nursing Angela.

"Craig's trying to spare me from something. I can feel it," Julia sighed.

"You think we should go for Total Custody?" Joey asked as he and Julia put Angela in her sleeper bed at the base of their bed.

"I've thought about it but Albert does want Craig to be the best scholar possible and on that we're twins and hopefully Craig will bring out whatever sincere good qualities he has left," Julia tried to explain.

"How?" Joey asked.

"Because Craig still loves him- and he has some of Albert in him. To tell him he can never see his father again would destroy him now,"Julia quietly proclaimed with a tear.

"It's okay! With you and Angela in our lives, Craig and I get stronger everyday" Julia beamed.

"Really?" Joey asked.

"Sure! Why before too long, we could help you sell cars by lifting them to impress the customers!" Julia laughed while Joey joined her.

Craig had snuck out of his room and tiptoed outside their room overhearing this but he never let them know what he'd heard. Craig would feel as though he was always on tapdancing on a thin crust barely covering the silent and ominous volcano within when visiting Albert and he never knew when Albert's temper would flash from cordial to hateful in moments. Upon Craig's returns to the Jeremiah Duplex filled with laughter, music and warmth over the next year and a half, he'd always feel like Rip Van Winkle reawakened after those week and two-week visits and happy to see how much Angie had grown in his absence.

Vancouver- late April, 1999

"Julia, Mr. Prescott's retired and is offering to sell me his entire lot!" Joey exclaimed on the phone.

"Joe, your own car lot! It's what you've always dreamed of!" Julia beamed as she hugged him.

"Julia, are you sure? You, Angie and Craig all love it here. We'd be moving back to TO if I accepted," Joey gulped- as he and Julia put a new sweater on their 20-month-old daughter.

"Our home's where our _family_ is- and besides, Toronto's where I bore Craig and fell in love with you! It will be the end of those worrisome cross-country solo plane trips for Craig," Julia noted.

"Uhm, Jules, he doesn't worry. We do!" Joey laughed.

"Craig may think we're being silly but wait til he gets to be a parent!" Julia exclaimed with a lilt.

"So, you think we should risk it all and go back to TO to start from scratch?" Joey asked.

"If we didn't you'd always wonder what if. .and I love it when you go after your ambitions!" Julia cooed.

"Same as when you do yours! I think you're right about it being time to give Ange a baby brother or sister so she won't be alone when Craig discovers the fun of really playing with girls his age just around the corner!" Joey laughed as he hugged Julia.

"That's going to be an interesting time for us all!" Julia laughed.

"Can I play wif the buttons?" 18-month-old Angela asked.

"When we reach the dealership, _Infanta_!"Julia cooed as the three of them left their Vancouver duplex to give notice to Joey's dealership.

June 14, 1999- Toronto

Late afternoon, in a sidewalk on a busy downtown street, Julia discovered that her right front tire had gone flat.

_"¡Qué lastíma!_ " Julia sighed.

"Something wrong. .? Julia . .. Jeremiah! It's been two years!" Kate Kerwin exclaimed as she hugged her.

"Kate! Yes, to the day! That's when you came to Joe's and my wedding along with your friend Anna! Is she doing better?" Julia asked.

"No, her cancer proved terminal and we lost her five months after your wedding. If my Ashley weren't friends with her, I don't know what her poor daughter Terri would do,"Kate groaned.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Julia sighed as she clutched Kate's hand.

"Thanks for being a good hostess to us and giving Anna one of her last carefree days- especially considering all on your plate,"Kate sighed.

"We mustn't let our own problems keep us from helping others," Julia noted- as she looked askance at her flat tire.

"So are you and Joey back in TO or just visiting?"Kate asked with a deep intake of breath.

"Oh, we're back for good putting down roots here!" Julia happily exclaimed.

"We'd love to have you back at the Royal Ontario Museum. You think you could return when your daughter Angela's in kindergarten?" Kate asked.

"I'd thought about it but it may be after she starts kindergarten," Julia giggled.

" I swear! You look even happier than your wedding day. Say, by any chance are you. ..?"Kate asked with a gasp of astonishment.

"Today's our 2nd Anniversary. I'm meeting Joe at Ali Baba's Caravan Restaurant- and I don't want to be late," Julia giggled impishly.

"I can give you a ride!" Kate offered.

"Oh, no! These news must be first shared with Joe before anyone else! I'll call and tell you all about it tomorrow! You have the same number?" Julia asked.

"Sure but. .." Kate asked.

"Taxi!" Julia shouted as one slowed down for her.

"Kate, I'm not letting your badgering me or any flat tire put a damper on things!" Julia laughed as she got into the taxi.

"Well, give my best to Joey and everyone! See you!" Kate exclaimed as she and Julia waved to each other.

Kate shook her head and laughed.

"Some women get all the luck. I wish I could get Jack back from his partner and I wouldn't mind having another child. Maybe one day you'll find someone, Kate," Kate wistfully sighed as she looked at her reflection in Julia's parked car's door mirror.

"_Sayid_, your usual table with pillow cushions," the Moroccan waiter exclaimed to Joey at Ali Baba's Caravan Restaurant decked with elaborate tents, hanging brass lamps and other Moroccan décor.

"Yeah! That's where I proposed to Julia. .and later that night, I think that's when we made Angie!" Joey laughed.

"Mr. Jeremiah! A phone call for you!" the waiter exclaimed.

"Yeah! Hey, Lover! Don't worry, you're not late. I closed up the lot and arrived a little early- and Ma's got Craig and Angie for the whole night!" Joey beamed over the phone.

Neither of them paid any attention to the wailing sirens in the background getting closer.

"_Amor_, I shouldn't be more than five minutes. You know, I didn't think I could be happier when we married but I'm happier every single day!" Julia happily exclaimed over her cellphone while riding in the taxi.

"I can't remember how I lived before you came into my life! How I love you!" Joey unabashedly cooed into the phone.

"I love you more than I thought it was possible to love any--"Julia gushed in amorous ecstasy before her signal was abruptly cut off. .and Joey heard the most horrific crash of a fire engine into a taxi.

Unbeknown to either of them a 17-year-old boy had stolen a fire engine as a prank and had been racing it in the busy downtown Toronto streets for the last five minutes. Several police cars chased after him and the teen was able to get the fire engine to race at speeds up to 90 MPH and just after the light changed and the taxi driver had started turning left, the fire engine crashed into the passenger's side. In less than a tenth of a second, 31-year-old Julia Ibañez Jeremiah (formerly Manning) had her chest cavity fatally crushed by the impact of the fire engine crashing into the taxi then the sheer speed and weight of the fire engine compelled the taxi to be smashed into a tenth its former width when it was compacted against another car and a building. Amazingly her head and even her beatific smile had remained unscathed- frozen in time as a tribute to the last moment before her family's world irrevocably changed. Also killed was the 24-year-old Somalian taxi driver, a 45-year-old Chinese- Canadian businessman on his way home to his family in the next car, a 37-year-old French-Canadian policewoman in the squad car behind the fire engine (having been unable to stop from crashing into the firetruck in time). … ..and Joey and Julia Jeremiah's embryo who Julia had just learned would have been their 2nd (and her 3rd) child due to have born seven and a half months later. 

Joey dropped the phone and ran out the restaurant door in his socks (having taken off his shoes to sit on the cushioned restaurant floor) praying that what his heart knew to be true wasn't. From the moment he actually saw the wreck, everything became a nightmare and a blur.


	5. Ashes to Ashes

****

"Ashes to Ashes" (Chapter Five)

by Ennon

Disclaimer:"Degrassi:The Next Generation" and its characters are trademarks of Epitome Pictures and I'm making no monies whatsoever from this fanfic.

A/N- I'll be paraphrasing the best I can some dialogue from the show here so I apologize if it's not exact but I tried to get as succinct as possible for the purposes of advancing this fanfic.

Toronto- Monday, June 14,1999

Joey ran as fast as he could in his socks to the mangled taxi in the downtown street and got a glimpse of Julia's lifeless face and ran up to try to pull her out of there but the police and fire crews held him back as they got to work on their grizzly task. He felt as though the Earth should have opened up and swallowed him whole at that moment. He was in such shock that he couldn't even speak. Archie 'Snake' Simpson came by carrying a bottle of champagne he'd intended to surprise the Jeremiahs with at the restaurant but saw his best friend silently kiss her on the mouth as they put Jula's body in the bodybag then led the catatonic Joey from the spot in the sidewalk where he saw that his world had ended. 

"Come on, Man! I'll drive you back to your mother's and I'll tell your children. We can get your mother to identify. .." Snake gulped in utter shock and grief as he led Joey into his Jeep.

Joey numbly nodded.

"Please, you've got to be strong for the kids! For Julia,"Snake said with tears in his voice.

"NO!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!"Joey screamed at the top of his lungs again and again while he pounded his fists into the Jeep's dashboard.

"No, you'll hurt yourself!" Snake begged as he tried to lift Joey's hands off the dashboard.

"I don't CARE!"Joey snarled.

"Joey, it's not what Julia would want," Snake gulped.

"Snake, the last thing she ever said was that she loved me! _Me_!" Joey sobbed in a choking whisper.

A few minutes later they were at Mrs. Jeremiah's house.

"I'll get my coat, "Mrs. Doris* Jeremiah gulped.

A/N- If anyone reading this recalls them mentioning Joey's mother given name on the original 'Degrassi' series, please let me know and I'll change it but I'm sticking with Doris for now.

"It's summer," Snake tried to explain.

"I feel so cold,"Mrs. Doris Jeremiah shuddered.

" It's OK," Snake sighed.

"I'll tell the children," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah offered.

"No, Ma. This is something I've gotta do," Joey groaned as he walked into his mother's living room where Craig was using a Cookie Monster puppet to entertain Angela.

"Daddy! Did Mommy bring icecream? Where're your shoes?" 22-month old Angela Jeremiah asked- as Joey looked down at his filthy socks and realized he'd left them behind at the restaurant.

"Joey, what happened," 11-year-old Craig (now almost his stepfather's height) asked as he put down the Cookie Monster puppet.

"Children, I. .. she's dead," Joey cried as he burst into tears.

"Who?" Angela asked.

"Your Mommy, baby!"Joey said bursting into tears as he crawled on the floor and hugged them.

"NO! YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE LYING! NO! NO!" Craig screamed as he pulled himself away.

"Quit calling Daddy a liar!"Angela pouted.

"No, Craig. .Angie. I'm not! She was riding a taxi . .when. .. she's dead!" Joey burst into tears.

"I HATE YOU! HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?!" Craig screamed.

"Craig!"Snake snapped.

"Craig, Mommy'll get mad if you keep yelling at Daddy and won't let you have icecream!" Angela scolded.

"WHY, JOEY?!" Craig screamed as he finally burst into tears and let Joey hug him. 

After a time, Mrs. Doris Jeremiah went down to the police station to identify Julia's remains with Snake at her side.

The accident had provoked such public outrage over security of fire stations and the safety of police chases that the City of Toronto quickly settled on the Jeremiahs a large sum of money the very next day. The bulk of the settlement Joey used to pay for the large headstone, casket and funeral service which he agreed to without really doing more than numbly sign papers put in front of him.

Meantime, Angela kept asking when Julia was returning- and three days later, awoke the morning of Julia's funeral with a 100.8F fever.

Joey and Mrs. Doris Jeremiah both decided that it was best to keep Angela home from her mother's funeral which may have spared her undo trauma.

"No one who ever met Julia will ever forget her! We commit her to you, O Lord and pray that she's in a better place! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust!" the minister intoned while Joey, Craig and the others stoically threw yellow carnations and clumps of dirt into the freshly dug ground.

"Any word on Dr. Manning?" Spike asked Snake in a whisper while they were standing directly behind the coffin while Joey and Craig were about to watch it be interred.

"No, Mrs. Jeremiah left messages for him at the hospital and even tried the house,"Snake groaned.

"Oh, I hope he doesn't pull a stunt like he did at the wedding,"Spike sighed.

Both Craig and Joey were too catatonic to react to what was going on until a moment later when the coffin was being lowered into the ground.

"Craigger! It's time to come home!"Albert commanded as he walked up to the mourners.

"No you don't! This is for Julia and you're not welcome here! " Joey screamed.

"He's my son and I say he goes with me," Albert seethed.

"No! Julia wanted our family to. .." Joey snarled.

"Craig has NOTHING to do with you and that bas. .." Albert boiled while Joey lunged at him.

"Guys. Some respect for the dead, " Snake pleaded as he planted himself between Albert and Joey.

"Like the dead had any respect for me- running off with that runt ,toy boy, cueball homewrecker and taking my son away!" Albert snarled.

"You treated her like dirt! I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing her dead!" Joey boiled.

"Then let Craig come with me right now or I swear to God in front of this minister, I'll spit on her grave!" Albert said with a cruel edge.

"Um. ..I'll come with you, Dad," Craig gulped.

"But he doesn't have any of his other clothes with him," Spike sputtered.

"I'll buy him what he needs- and what happens to him isn't anyone else's business from now on!" Albert boiled as Craig swallowed hard and walked off with Albert while intently looking back at Julia's freshly dug grave until it was out of his line of vision.

" I lost Julia and now I've failed her by letting Albert take Craig away! I can't go on, Ma!" Joey cried when he returned back to check on his daughter whose fever had broken.

"Joey, my granddaughter needs you! You must be the father Julia knew you could be!" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah pleaded.

"I know, Ma and I'll take Angie back home. Maybe one day we'll finish eating all those casseroles everyone's brought. Oh, Julia would get a good laugh at the sight of all those," Joey chuckled. .and cried at the same time.

The drive back to the Manning House was even worse than all those trips from the airport the past two years. Albert said nothing the entire way and Craig couldn't think of anything to say.

Then, they entered the front door and he saw that Albert had had a large 'Welcome Home, Craigger!' banner set up with balloons strung up at the ceiling moldings of the living room as though it was a birthday party!

"Look what your Dad's done"Albert beamed.

"Uh. .. thanks,"Craig gulped.

"That's all the gratitude you can muster up after all the trouble I've gone to?" Albert sniffed.

"I said thanks," Craig replied.

"Don't backtalk me!" Albert boiled.

"But. .. " Craig gulped as Albert punched him in the mouth- physically assaulting Craig for the very first time in their lives.

"Craig, I'm so sorry but with the stress of my work and . . .all the other stuff that's been happening.. Well, it will never happen again! No hard feelings, son?" Albert asked.

"OK," Craig gulped rather stunned and unsure what was going to happen.

. An older lady Mrs. Braintree was hired to do light housekeeping and watch over Craig until Albert's return. She kept her own counsel and apart from making sure Craig did homework and household chores, had no real interaction with Craig. He never learned that she was hired to pay off her surgery costs not to mention anything about her background, family or interests- not even her given name. Most of the time she'd stay in the living room and read pulp romance novels. Regardless if Albert returned at 4PM or well past midnight due to 'complications' she'd stay with Craig then leave a few minutes after Albert's return. As dull as she was, at least her behaviour was consistant but Craig found out she was not to be trusted a week later when she overheard him calling Joey and evasively talking then reported it to Albert who, minutes after she left, beat the tar out of Craig and hit Craig's ear so hard that it rang for three days. Albert told Craig NEVER to call or see Joey again without his express permission and Craig knew better than to ask it. Craig was quite relieved when Albert sent him off to camp for the remainder of the summer. That fall, Albert enrolled Craig at the Edgemont Primary Academy- a private all-boys school requiring coat and tie uniforms and whose graduates went onto the finest prep schools. Everyday, Craig would either have Albert drive him there or take a taxi then have an awaiting taxi drive him home. His old friends in Vancouver emailed him but he made no new ones at Edgemont.

At exactly Midnight of Christmas Day,1999 Albert deposited Craig at Joey's house.

"Daddy, who's that?" 30-month old Angela asked shyly as Joey carried her.

"It's your big brother Craig! He's going to be with us to help us celebrate Christmas!"Joey enthused.

"Hey, Kiddo! I've missed you!" Craig exclaimed as he hugged her.

"So, are you okay?" Joey asked.

"I'm fine. Really," Craig replied but didn't look directly at his stepfather.

"OK," Joey sighed.

"Hey! Let's set out the milk and cookies for Father Christmas and wait by the fireplace!" Craig beamed.

"Yay!" Angela cheered.

Despite their best efforts, the three fell asleep sometime before three. Around nine they awoke and Joey and Craig exchanged small presents before giving Angela extra toys. Then the three got into a festive mood and sang Christmas carols with Joey playing the guitar he'd bought Julia and the three took many pictures until exactly at 12 Noon when Albert's car horn honked.

"Um.. .gotta go now! Merry Christmas, Joey, Kiddo!" Craig said nervously as he ran out the door and into Albert's car which sped off.

"Julia, your heart would be broken now if you could see this," Joey sighed to himself as he picked up one of Julia's pictures and wouldn't have been surprised if a tear had appeared on it.

Friday, December 31,1999-

"Craigger, why can't you concentrate on your studies? " Albert asked late that night.

"The New Year and New Millenium in a few hours, Dad," Craig shrugged.

"Actually, the New Millenium won't start til next year but let the idiots celebrate too soon!" Albert laughted.

"I guess so," Craig groaned.

"Come on, Craigger! I want to help you study because I'm your friend. .and friends talk, right?" Albert asked.

Albert had been relatively civil the whole week after Christmas and had gone without hitting Craig the whole time. So Craig thought maybe this peaceful time would last longer than the others had since his return.

"Um. ..well, it's about Christmas,"Craig started.

"Your Dad sure pulled a few strings to get that new camera model for you, eh!" Albert laughed.

"Yeah. .and thanks again, Dad," Craig gulped.

"Something happen at Joey's?" Albert asked.

"No. .I just feel . .bad about. .." Craig groaned.

"About. . what, Craigger?" Albert asked as he looked into Craig's eyes.

Craig gulped and knew he'd have to tell him or the civil mood would end very abruptly.

"Well, I . .said I hated him back in June when, you know. .. and I don't know how to apologize," Craig shuddered bracing himself for the latest blow.

"That's it?" Albert laughed.

"You're not mad?" Craig laughed.

"Why should I be mad? I'm PROUD of you! No need to ever apologize for hating the homewrecker!"Albert beamed as he hugged Craig.

"But Dad, he's good to Angie and he was good to. .." Craig pleaded.

"I know he may have acted like he liked you to impress the woman who bore you but he probably hates you cos you're a living reminder that I'm the one who . .had your mother before anyone else. Just like I hate Angie for being a living reminder that Joey had her last," Albert shrugged.

"Dad, that's embarassing!" Craig groaned.

"Hey, don't worry! Your secret's safe with me! Now, let's go over your trig exam notes one more time before we start counting for the New Year," Albert beamed.

"But, Joey's trying to get visitation," Craig pleaded as he and Albert were in suits outside a courtroom in March,2000.

"He's trying to keep peace with Angie. He couldn't care less about you!" Albert sniffed.

"Joey. ." Craig started to say.

"Didn't convert his weightroom into your darkroom like I have! Now you don't have to depend on pharmacies to develop your shots!" Albert beamed.

"Do you think I have a chance?" Joey asked in a suit for his court date in March,2000.

"I'm sure the judge will at least allow Craig to visit Angie!" Snake encouraged.

"But they wouldn't even grant me an Emergency Injunction and it took forever to get a date on the court docket," Joey groaned.

"But Your Honour, my late wife expressly put it in writing that she wanted Craig to live with me if anything happened- and she had Primary Custody!" Joey pleaded while in court. 

"Craig, did you tell my client, your father Dr. Albert Manning that you hate Mr. Jeremiah?" Mr. Fowler (Albert's lawyer) asked as he was on the stand.

"Dad said. .." Craig said in a rather stunned tone.

" Just answer the question," the judge ordered.

Craig looked away from Joey and could see he was quite hurt but he couldn't avoid Albert's glare and knew if he didn't answer that question exactly as Albert wanted, he'd be dead meat. 

"Yes, I did," Craig groaned.

" Well, in that case, there's really no reason for you to be visiting him or his daughter more than half the day Christmas which Dr. Manning allows. Court finds in favor of Dr. Manning!" the judge ordered.

"But Your Honour!" Joey's lawyer (Ms. Trevor) pleaded.

"Case closed!" the judge sniffed as he slammed his gavel.

"Joey, you can file an appeal," Snake pleaded.

"Appeal? For Craig to say he hates me again?"Joey boiled when they reached the lawyer's office.

"But, Joey. ." Snake gulped.

"I almost went broke with this lawyer and I've gotta pay the mortgages and taxes on the dealership and house! Craig hates me so Ma and Angie are the only family I have and I've gotta take care of 'em!" Joey snapped.

" I did it, Adéle!" Albert beamed as he and Adéle hugged later that afternoon at her apartment.

"You sure did! I told you that judge would see things your way-especially after your under-the-table deal. .and you thought he'd turn you in!" Adéle laughed.

"Even easier than some of those board members!" Albert laughed.

"So when are you going to introduce Craig to me?" Adéle asked.

"Why do you want to meet him?" Albert asked.

"Because he's your son- and this sneaking around is getting tiresome," Adéle sniffed.

"Are you threatening to dump me again? You'll get no part of Julia's inheritance if you do," Albert laughed.

"I don't have to depend on that! I'm making a very good living at marketting and I can find new guys anytime!" Adéle sniffed.

" And I can find new girls," Albert snarled as he slapped her.

"You just try that!"Adéle spat as she slapped him back.

"I have- just as you've had other guys these past five years but we keep coming back to each other," Albert laughed as he rubbed the sore spot on his cheek.

"And you know why?" Adéle asked.

"Because we're the only people we can be our REAL selves around. Everyone else we tell what they want to hear and putty in our hands!" Albert laughed while Adéle joined him.

Sitting with Mrs. Braintree waiting for Albert to return Craig's mind raced back to all those times in his childhood in which Albert had hit,slapped,belted and kicked at Julia and all those horrible things he said to her followed by 'gifts' and 'apologies' he'd given her- and Craig realized that now it was his turn. The deafening silence that permeated the Manning House underscored the fact that Albert intended it to be a tomb- and now he knew its intended occupant.

Christmas, 2000, came and went with Craig and Angie having a great time together for the brief time but an even more awkward time between Craig and Joey than before. .and Joey finding his Wedding Album in Angie's room with the pictures taken out and scattered about afterwards . Angie pleaded with Joey that she hadn't touched the album and Joey wanted to believe her but he didn't know what to think. ..and he couldn't find the picture of Mr.Prescott, himself and Julia again. Craig had secretly pocketted it and decided to hide it from Albert as he had no other picture of his mother left.

Christmas, 2001, was awkward as usual between Craig and Joey but. .

" . and Mommy told me how her ancestor walked to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem all the way from Santiago, Spain in 1000AD. I wish I could remember all the details she told me!"13-year-old Craig recalled.

"Wow! Do you think they saw any dinosaurs in Jerusalem ?" 4-year-old Angie asked.

"You're something else, Kiddo!" Craig laughed.

"You,too! I started pre-K in the Wheeler School. I like the jungle gym outside! Mrs. Bainter usually lets us play all by ourselves!" Angie beamed.

"Maybe I'll surprise you there one afternoon and teach you how to work this camera!" Craig pondered as he pointed the lens in her direction..

"Uh. .Craig, your Dad's here!" Joey groaned as he came into Angie's room.

"Bye, Kiddo! Love you!" Craig beamed as he hugged Angie and took her picture then nodded at Joey while walking out.

As soon as he returned to his room alone, he looked at the picture of Mr. Prescott, Joey and Julia intently and realized that the reason he liked being with Angie so much was that she reminded Craig of Julia- and Joey was raising her as lovingly and dotingly as Julia's own father had done years earlier.. How Craig wished he could do more than observe his 'real family' once a year but these observations gave him strength for the rest of the year. .. Saffron Times indeed those were. If only, he hadn't messed things up with Joey by saying he hated him.

Mrs. Braintree had retired and Albert knew Craig would sit quietly at home waiting for him but what Albert didn't know was that when Albert on those days Albert hadn't already arrived from the hospital and the conditions were sunny and warm, Craig would sneak over to Angie's kindergarten and visit her through the fence. Craig counted on Mrs. Bainter never showing up outside. He felt bad that no one was really watching these children but it was the only way he could see Angie and at least he'd be there to watch out for the kids when he visited. Angie didn't like keeping secrets from Joey but thought the visits were fun and was afraid that if the grownups found out about them, they'd end so she kept the visits secret.

Meantime, Craig was e-mailing his old friend Melanie in Vancouver who had scanned pictures of herself to him as they were becoming teens. Seeing that the freckled redhead was ripening into a desirable teenaged girl, Craig decided he wanted to return to Vancouver with Angie for Melanie to help raise while he enjoyed Melanie's companionship but had no idea how or when to make this happen. Yet, besides emailing Melanie and seeing Angie on those secret visits, Craig felt there was nothing for him in life.

Edgemont ended at Grade Eight and Craig was due for high school. Albert had considered putting Craig in another private all-boys school when he chanced upon an article about how Ms. Daphne Hatzilakos's last three classes had the largest number of science prizes, scholarships and awards meted to any secondary level class in Toronto. Hence, with the news that Ms. Hatzilakos in the article was joining the Degrassi faculty and the Manning House being on the outer edge of its school district, Albert decided at the last possible minute to enroll Craig in Degrassi without having ever seen the school or its prized teacher in person.

"So, Jeremiah, you're coming to Spike's Birthday Party on Wednesday afternoon?" Snake asked on a Monday in late August,2002.

" Why is she throwing her own party?"Joey asked while Snake was visiting Jeremiah Motors.

"How else is she going to make sure she gets her fave eats with all her friends?" Snake laughed.

" Wish I could make it but I've got a date with a calendar girl!" Joey beamed.

"Hey! Great you're dating again but can't you put it off. ..?" Snake asked.

"I've been putting off having fun for three years now and I think Julia should be happy that I'm not shutting myself off anymore,"Joey shrugged.

"I think she'd also be happy that Craig's going to get his own Degrassi friends!" Snake laughed.

"Craig Manning? No way!" Joey scoffed.

"Way! I just got the latest roster and he's in my homeroom tomorrow morning!"Snake explained. 

"OK,"Joey shrugged.

"Aren't you going to ask me to look out for him, give him a message from you or anything?" Snake asked.

"What for? He doesn't care anything about me. He's not called me once in three years and barely speaks to me on those Christmas mornings," Joey snapped.

"Come on, Joey! He must care something about you," Snake sputtered.

"Only the fact I'm Angie's father and she's Julia's other child! Yeah, he's nice to her but I don't think he minds not seeing us more than once a year," Joey fumed.

"He lived with you for two years and you got along great then," Snake recalled.

"Yeah, but it's as though I was only worth caring for when Julia was living. He didn't deny he hated me in that visitation hearing in 2000!" Joey groaned.

"Joey, now that you're dating again, it would be a good time for you and Craig to at least patch up any misunderstandings before. .." Snake pleaded.

"Okay, if Craig asks about me, tell him I'm wondering how he's doing and to give me a call!"Joey sighed.

Craig's visit with Angela went smoothly Tuesday afternoon until Angie's new kindergarten teacher Mrs. Herkimer called her name and asked her the identity of the teen she was talking to. Craig hadn't known that Angela's previous teacher Mrs. Bainter had been fired by the Wheeler School for incompetence after being caught eating the entire supply of library paste with her toast 

Still,Craig wanted a picture of his three favourite people together and decided to wait for Joey and Angie at Julia's cemetary while he snuck the pictures. .but Angie admitted to Joey seeing Craig and Joey nearly caught Craig before he was able to run out of the cemetary grounds. 

"Dad, I'm not _like _Mom," 14-year-old Craig groaned reluctantly for the millionth time (hoping his tone would be convincing enough to not trigger a beating from Albert) after Albert asked him about a phone message from Joey later that evening.

"Aunt Christy, have you met my big brother Craig?" Angie asked at Spike's birthday party Wednesday afternoon.

" He sure has grown into a handsome man!" Spike laughed.

"It's good to see you, too,Ms. Nelson," Craig beamed as Spike gave him a hotdog on a bun.

"Can we draw on the sidewalk, Mom?" Emma asked.

"Sure, as long as you clean it up after the party's over!" Spike warned.

"Yes, Mom," Emma groaned.

"Come on, ladies. My Mom showed me how to draw like Pablo Picasso! Wait'll you see this one!" Craig beamed as he started to draw a dinosaur.

"Julia sure would be happy to see these two getting along so great!" Spike quietly said to Snake.

"He's a good kid but I can't help thinking there's a lot more going on than he's letting on," Snake groaned as Spike nodded in agreement.

"DADDY!" Angela squealed in delight as Joey joined Spike's party.

Spike and Snake immediately noticed that Craig's demeanor immediately changed as he turned away from Joey and tried to lose himself in the small party.

The whole party heard Joey's talk with Craig about Albert not allowing Craig to see the Jeremiahs before Craig walked away from the party altogether.

Craig dreaded his return home more than usual . Still, he thought if he could make it to his darkroom, he could have a few hours peace before Albert lit into him but Albert followed him in and gave Craig one of the worst beatings of his life. Albert trashed the entire darkroom and all its equipment while slamming Craig around and beating him with his ' Perfect Family' photo album. As soon as Albert left, Craig painfully picked himself up and looked inside fearing the worst. He found it. Albert had discovered the Joey and Julia's Wedding Photo with Mr. Prescott- and had torn out Julia's image from it! That was even more painful than the bruisings. How much longer before Albert tear him away, Craig wondered as he heard Albert drive off.

"A new picture for my dartboard- and she looks like a cow here!"Adéle cruelly laughed at the picture of Julia seven-months pregnant.

"Yeah, good thing you don't have to worry about getting pregnant!" Albert laughed.

" Albert, you shouldn't have!" Adéle beamed in her apartment as he pinned the scrap of Julia's image onto it.

"Yeah, and I showed Craig who's boss!" Albert laughed.

Craig heard Albert get in a few hours later but didn't dare ask him about his whereabouts before Albert drove him to school and gave him a large number of Canadian Dollars to buy him off. . .and (Craig was beginning to see) buy his very soul. Still, he didn't want these new folks at Degrassi to see a scene with Albert and it was embarassing enough to him to be seen having Albert drop him off so he played his usual game and accepted the money that Thursday morning.

Craig didn't want Angela to know that not all children were as lucky as she being raised by a father who'd never do more than verbally scold her. .and he frankly didn't want Angie to know _anything_ about Albert's existance so he told her it was a dinosaur who caused the bruising as she pulled his shirt up. Craig was taking Angie by the hand out of the park to get her icecream before boarding the afternoon bus to BC, he'd decided to call Melanie as soon as the bus reached Sudbury to let her know they'd be on their way to Vancouver to move into her garage. Angie considered Vancouver to be the moon but believed one could reach it if one jumped high enough. Still, there was one thing Craig never counted on from Angie.

"Angie, I was worried!" Joey exclaimed as he hugged her.

"Craig, can Daddy come,too?" Angela asked.

"Come where?" Joey asked.

"Craig's got a million dollars. We're moving to **British Columbia**!" Angela beamed as she ran up to Craig and pulled out the money.

"What do you think you're doing? You think you can just take her away with you?" Joey sputtered.

"No I don't!.Joey, it was just pretend," Craig gulped.

"Like that money in your pocket's pretend!" Joey scorned.

Craig hemmed some more.

"Just stay away from Angie and me like your Dad said,"Joey ordered.

"Joey, I can't DO that!" Craig pleaded.

"I MEAN it!" Joey growled as he scooped Angela in his arms and stormed off.

"Okay, fine," Craig said dejectly.

On the way home, Craig realized that he'd burned his last bridge to sanity. Angela would never have wanted to go anywhere without Joey. Why would she have? Joey had never given her a moment of fear or hatred in her life much less been anything but a caring, doting father to his only child. Craig knew he'd screwed up big time- and he'd been too immersed in his plight to consider that anyone at Degrassi besides Sean would have any use for him. Not to mention, Joey would have called the police and the bus would have been pulled over even before it reached the Greater Toronto Metro Limits- and Angie would have likely gotten fussy and lonely for Joey after mere minutes on the bus. Craig decided to just go home and let Albert destroy him once and for all after that. At least if he was dead, he'd be with Julia again and they could watch out for Joey and Angie together!

To an outsider, would have seemed to have been in an okay mood that afternoon but Craig knew he wasn't and then the phone rang. .Joey. Of course, Joey would do anything in his power to protect the most important person in his life from stupid teen boys wanting to take her on three day bus rides without even asking permission- even if it meant calling his worst enemy Albert. Craig decided he had one last chance to live to get to Melanie's in Vancouver so he quickly called Sean on the phone while he could hear Albert destroying his bedroom door with his golf club. 

" Thank God Joey called me instead of the police- or else your name would have been in the papers and I'd have NEVER lived that one down! How dare you humiliate me and make folks think I've warped you!"Albert screamed at the now-empty room as he burst in moments after Craig's escape.

"How could I have been so stupid! Why didn't I realize that since Albert beat the most wonderful woman who ever lived, he wouldn't be above doing the same to his own son?" Joey yelled as he and Sean were in his classic car searching for Craig.

"Joey, it's not your fault. I've seen this happen before and kids are too ashamed to admit they've been beaten by those they love," Sean groaned.

"I guess I didn't want to know! It was easier to think that Craig hated me but Albert treated him okay after I lost the visitations than it would have been to think Craig was all alone with no one in his corner," Joey groaned.

The freight yard attracted folks at night Craig had never imagined existed in daytime. .and some of them seemed even more creepy and frightening than Albert. After a receiving a few stomach-churning glares from them, Craig had enough and fled the freight yard altogether.

Craig decided he had to say goodbye to Julia one last time before he joined her as he hadn't done so when Sean pulled him away that last second. He lovingly touched her headstone thinking back to those distant Saffron Times when she, Joey and Angie were taking care of him .. .and he was happy!

"Where am I supposed to go, huh? Back home so my dad can. .?" Craig yelled after Joey came upon him.

"So your dad can what? What does your father do to you? Does he hit you?" Joey asked- as Craig turned away.

"Yeah. .. He does!"Craig replied then burst into tears while Joey hugged him.

"How long has. .?" Joey asked.

"It started the day he took me away from Mom's funeral. I think I always knew he wanted to but, for some reason, as long as Mom was alive he stopped himself,"Craig bawled.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Joey asked.

"I screwed things up by saying I hated you! " Craig cried as Joey hugged him.

"You were angry about your mother's death! I know you didn't mean it," Joey replied.

"But I DID. .at the time. Can you ever forgive me?" Craig bawled.

"Yeah, I can. It's time to put that behind us," Joey gulped.

"So you think you can at least get Dad to let me visit you and Angie maybe once a month? I promise never to take her anywhere without your permission!" Craig sobbed.

"I can do more than that!" Joey replied firmly.

"Yay! Craig's here in our house!"Angie cheered.

"I hope to stay here as long as I can,Kiddo! Emma, could you show Angie some of the photos in that album upstairs in her room?" Craig asked.

"Sure,"Emma replied as the two went upstairs.

"Okay. I'm ready to call Dad," Craig stated.

"If you don't think you can, I. .." Joey offered.

"No, Mom stood up to him on her own and she'd want me to do the same. I need to call him," Craig said firmly.

"Do you know what time it is?" Albert boiled as he picked up the phone.

"Dad, it's me, Craig. I'm here at Joey Jeremiah's for the night. ."Craig insisted.

"Yeah, Albert. Craig's with me!" Joey quickly added.

"Joey, I don't know what this punk ingrate's told you but I'm coming over and. ."Albert boiled.

"You come by my house or business EVER again and I'll have you arrested for Tresspassing," Joey exclaimed.

"But. ."Albert sputtered.

"And I'll press charges of assault and battery on you, Dad!" Craig added but with a gulp.

"I'll drive him over after school tomorrow and he's picking his stuff up,"Joey added.

Craig made himself say what he had to say, pack what he could carry then walk away from Albert. He knew he couldn't survive in that house anymore. Albert and Joey glared at each other but too much had already been said between the two for either of them to add anything before Joey took Craig with him to start a new life. While Craig felt torn having to leave Albert, he could feel Julia's presence comforting him and assuring him that he'd made the best decision he could.. and Joey almost could swear he smelled Julia's rain scented hair and felt a kiss on his cheek as they drove away from the Manning House.

"You finally told Craig about us?"Adéle asked as she hugged Albert the next day as they were making out in her apartment.

"Yep! And he said that no one could ever replace his mother so I told him you were far better than she and if he didn't like it, I'd send him to boarding school!" Albert gloated.

"And. .? "Adéle asked.

"Yeah, that's what I've done! I've showed the ingrate who's boss once and for all!" Albert beamed.

"Oh, I'd like to have been there to have seen his face when you sent him away!" Adéle laughed.

"He kept looking back but I've had it with him," Albert groaned.

"To think ,we drove out Julia AND her spawn. Now I can move in!" Adéle gloated.

"Keep your apartment but let's spend as much time together as possible," Albert pleaded.

"Oh, I can hardly wait to tell everyone what you've done for me!" Adéle laughed.

"Better not. Why should folks know I raised an ingrate? Better they think I raised someone so brilliant that no school in Toronto was good enough for him, " Albert laughed.

"That's good!" Adéle beamed as she hugged Albert while they continued to make out.

About a month later, Adéle ran into Ms. Clothilde Sauvé at the marketplace.

"Adéle, how have you been?" Ms. Sauvé asked as they sat down at a small table and put down their produce baskets.

"Couldn't be better! Where have you been?" Adéle asked.

"Quebec, taking care of Mémé,"Ms. Sauvé groaned.

"Oh, your Grandmother Bourgoyne's not well?" Adéle asked.

"Hopefully, she's in a better place. That Alzheimer's took seven years to finally kill her after it robbed her of so much," Ms.Suavé groaned.

"So you and Jean-Paul. ..?"Adéle pondered.

"He took care of Mémé with me!" Ms. Sauvé replied.

"How gallánt of that plumber!" Adéle sniffed."

"We owed it to her to keep her as comfortable and happy as possible in her own home- especially considering that she was the only refuge any of us had growing up!" Ms. Sauvé sigh,

"Don't think I'm not grateful but I had so many things going on here,"Adéle replied.

"You couldn't make even one visit to her in seven years?" Ms. Sauvé snapped.

"You'd said she had Alzheimer's and she wouldn't have known me from a beanstalk. So, how are you and Jean-Paul doing now that. .."Adéle asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so raw after her long goodbye and passing. We're fine. He's never been out of work as a plumber and I just started being a guidance counsellor at this school here called Degrassi,"Ms, Sauvé explained.

"Still trying to save the world," Adéle laughed.

"Not every young person's as lucky as we were to have a Mémé in their lives- and my helping them sort things out helps me keep _her_ legacy alive!"Ms. Sauvé sighed.

"I suppose. Maybe Albert will help me keep mine alive awhile, "Adéle pondered.

"Who?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"My boyfriend I've been with these past five years. Dr. Albert Manning. He's divorced and his ex ran off with a used car salesman then he sent his ingrate son to boarding school after he refused to meet me," Adéle replied.

"Dr. Albert Manning. . why does that name sound familiar?"Ms. Sauvé pondered.

"He's somewhat prominent in the medical field. Maybe you've referred someone to him," Adéle shrugged.

"Wait a minute! That's Julia Manning's husband!"Ms. Sauvé exclaimed with a shudder.

"Ex-husband, what's your point," Adéle shrugged.

"You brought your friend Julia to me to see if she could get help in getting out of her abusive marriage," Ms. Sauvé recalled.

"Oh, Julia was just trying to extort money from him so she could get a good settlement. She made all that stuff up,"Adéle sniffed.

"She showed me the bruises!"Ms. Sauvé recalled.

"And you never heard of people deliberately injuring them_selves_? She later told me she did all to herself to extort money from him so she and her new boyfriend could start their fling in style as they ran off to BC!"Adéle laughed.

"I just . .. .can't believe it," Ms. Sauvé shuddered.

"So your bat sense took a beating. Happens to the best of us!" Adéle insisted as she looked right into Ms. Sauvé's eyes.

"I guess," Ms. Sauvé exclaimed in astonishment.

"Besides, your Mémé would have been the first to tell you that outsiders just aren't as reliable as villagers," Adéle intoned.

Christmas, 2002

"I'd have thought Craig would have been sent home for Christmas," Adéle sniffed,

"His boarding school had other plans. Besides, I wanted to spend it with you- all day long this time!"Albert cooed.

"Then why didn't you go to my marketting firm's Christmas party?" Adéle asked with an edge.

"I'm not comfortable around marketting folks," Albert shrugged.

"Why not? You've been selling yourself to everyone forever," Adéle sniffed.

"Yeah but I'd rather do my consulting with you one-on-one," Albert beamed as he and Adéle hugged again.

Late Spring,2003

"Laura, what is it?" Ms. Sauvé asked as Ms. Kwan stood outside the Guidance Counsellor's office.

"It's about one of my students, Craig Manning. I asked my students to perform interpretations of a key scene in 'Taming of the Shrew'. .but he and Ashley Kerwin did something drastically different from the others," Ms. Kwan sighed as Ms. Sauvé opened the door and let her inside.

"How so ?" Ms. Sauvé asked as Ms.Kwan sat down in her office.

"They saw it as strictly a tragedy of domination and abuse," Ms. Kwan shuddered.

"Hmm, I'm afraid my cynical side tends to get the better of me with that play,too, but why are you telling. .?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"You should have seen the look on Craig's face when he put on the suit and glasses, like a demon possessed him and then when he took them off at the scene's close, it was like he'd cast out that demon. ..but was afraid of the demon ever returning,"Ms. Kwan gulped.

" His marks are fairly good except he could pull up science and he's caused no disruptions in school so I haven't really had any reason to. ." Ms. Sauvé considered.

"Clothilde, please just talk to him and see if you can find out something at home that should needs tending to, "Ms. Kwan begged as she stood up.

"Of course, Laura. I'll do what I can," Ms. Sauvé sighed as she pulled up Craig's record and studied them more thoroughly than ever before.

Ms. Sauvé recalled a brief chat months earlier when she'd asked Craig about why Joey was his temporary guardian and Craig just muttered something about Joey being closer to Degrassi than the Manning House and Ms. Sauvé didn't want to press the issue. Then she studied Craig's vital statistics more thoroughly than ever before instead of just giving them a cursory glance.

Father-Dr. Albert Manning Mother- Mrs. Julia Jeremiah (Deceased) Temporary Guardian- Mr. Joey Jeremiah (Stepfather)

Ms. Sauvé desperately tried to reach Adéle with the news after she'd talked to Craig but Adéle refused to answer her calls or e-mails. Weeks went by, then Ms. Sauvé cornered her in the marketplace again at a corner table blocked off by a large display wagon.

"Why are you bothering me about Albert?" Adéle asked.

"Because he DID abuse Julia- and Craig! Her son told me enough gory details!"Ms. Sauvé pleaded.

"You went up to Craig's boarding school?" Adéle asked.

"There is no boarding school! Craig's at Degrassi Moreover, Julia Ibañez Manning Jeremiah died in 1999 in a very bad multi-vehicle collision," Ms. Sauvé boiled.

"Really?" Adéle replied.

"Quit lying to me, Adéle! You had to know that one! It made all the headlines in Toronto for a week and I pulled up the account on the search engines but you knew I was in Quebec tending Mémé and wouldn't have seen that! How could you slander a dead woman like that?" Ms. Sauvé seethed.

"Okay, she found out about Albert and me. Yes, we started our affair while she was still married to him! Satisfied?" Adéle asked.

"No! I don't care what Albert's told you about their marriage! Craig said. ." Ms. Sauvé started to say.

"You're going to listen to that ingrate after he got snotty about me replacing his mother?"Adéle seethed.

"Craig doesn't know you _exist_! He's actually happy his stepfather's dating- even though a remarriage would technically change their status . When I asked him about Albert's dates, he said he thought maybe a girlfriend would make Albert happy but he just thought Albert had been seeing prostitutes since before Julia left!"Ms. Sauvé boiled.

"How DARE you judge our love like that! " Adéle snarled.

"What love? How many people has he introduced you to? How many functions has he taken you to? Why is hiding you from as many people possible? What makes you think he's above abusing you then covering himself if he did that to his wife and son?" Ms. Sauvé pleaded.

"I don't have to listen to this,"Adéle seethed as she pushed the table out of her way, then the cart and stomped out of the marketplace leaving her produce behind.

"You LIED to me,Albert!" Adéle boiled the next day after Albert arrived at her apartment.

"Big f---ing deal! You've lied to me and everyone else you met!" Albert sniffed.

"How could you tell me that Craig was in boarding school instead of him being with his stepfather and in school in Toronto?" Adéle asked.

"I have my pride, you know!" Albert shrugged.

"And I have mine!" Adéle seethed.

"Meaning?" Albert asked.

"You give me at least $500,000 Canadian of Julia's money or I'll tell the whole world including Craig about all we've done down the years! I know all about him being at Degrassi and his stepfather having temporary custody,! You LIED to me!"Adéle boiled the next evening after Albert arrived at her apartment.

"Trying to extort me? At least Julia left me with money," Albert sniffed.

"Come on, you owe me for these eight years of sneaking around and secrecy- and for being the only one to understand the REAL you!" Adéle seethed. 

"Actually, so did Julia and Craig. That's why they deserved what they got,"Albert boiled as he hit her.

"You once said that to destroy me would be like destroying yourself," Adéle seethed as she hit him back.

"Well, I'm really sick of both of us!" Albert snarled as he left.

"Come back here! You can't leave without compensating me! I don't deserve to have to work in an office the rest of my life! Come see me off to my Singapore business trip tomorrow and tell me you're giving me my due!" Adéle boiled.

That Tuesday evening, Albert went back to his house and cleared every single remnant of Adéle's presence from his house- including the pictures of them together.

The next day, Albert stopped by Degrassi to help Craig study for his science final exam of Grade Nine. Thursday, he invited Craig to his house to study. As much as Craig liked visiting him at the hospital again and seeing their old house, he knew he couldn't return. He also smelled the strong scent of Lysol eminating from Albert's bedroom.

Friday, Albert sped off in a fury after knocking Craig to the ground outside a Toronto restaurant and Craig rejected his offer to take him back home- leaving the London tickets in the street next to the curb. Craig had no way of knowing that Albert had originally bought them for Adéle and had just changed her name to his before he offered them to Craig that Friday night.

"What?" Albert asked as he answered his cellphone while speeding.

"Albert, I demand what I deserve!" Adéle boiled as she called from Singapore.

"How did you get my new number ..?" Albert asked.

" I have the capacity to get just about anything I want! I'm not to be thrown away so easily," Adéle boiled.

"Look, I couldn't introduce to Craig and the others or go to your office parties. We'd have cancelled each other out," Albert pleaded.

"Is it still about saving face? Well, you know what to do to save yours!" Adéle boiled.

"You think my standing's going to be gone forever cos of what we had?" Albert laughed.

"You can't save your face forever!" Adéle boiled.

At that moment, Albert hung up and turned his head a moment before he struck the embankment. This caused caused his gas tank to explode- barely singing his torso and limbs but burning his face and hands beyond it being recognizable as human before he died of shock from the intense pain and agony as he was raced to his hospitable one last time.

Saturday morning, Craig received the news and picked up Joey's guitar and practiced the finger scales for the first time since he was seven. 

"Stephen, what are you doing here?" Adéle asked on Sunday.

"Adéle, Albert was in a fatal accident. I'm sorry!" Dr. Stephen Watley groaned.

"Come inside and have some tea," Adéle pleaded as she started shaking.

" I can't right now. These were in Albert's office. They're yours.," Dr. Stephen Watley sighed as he was holding a large box at Adéle's apartment doorway.

"When's the funeral?" Adéle asked.

"Just take this box and don't come to the funeral. We're trying to celebrate all the good Albert did," Dr. Watley sighed.

"But we were on and off for eight years," Adéle gasped.

"I know but we'd really prefer not to bring up Albert's dark-side tomorrow- and we've hired security so don't show up,"Dr. Watley said firmly as he pushed the box into Adéle's hands.

"But I loved him!" Adéle pleaded.

" Mourn him on your own. Marguerite's waiting for me in the car. Goodbye and take care of yourself," Dr. Watley snapped as he left the apartment complex's hallway.

Dr. Watley was most relieved that Adéle didn't show up Monday afternoon- especially since security cancelled at the last minute. Mrs. Braintree sat near Craig at the funeral but they didn't converse- the same as always. Dr. Watley was as shocked as anyone else when Craig burst out laughing and ran out! After Craig had the meltdown at the Luau Dance over Albert's passing, he went to the garage and started playing the guitar as though he'd been playing every day of his life and composed a tribute song to Albert and Julia in the wee hours. Joey gave him the guitar outright and knew that when he played it, Craig would think of Julia freeing his soul through music.

The next day at Children's Aid.

" The court finds that since he has Craig's best interests at heart, Craig wishes this to be so, he is the widower of Craig Manning's late mother- and Craig has no other living adult relatives, Joey Jeremiah will be awarded sole custody and guardianship of Craig until Craig Manning's 18th Birthday!" the judge ruled.

A week later, Ms. Sauvé was seated at the marketplace table talking to Adéle.

"Eight years and all I received was my own clothes, nighties and toiletries back in a box!"Adéle bawled.

"Adéle, consider yourself lucky that you got out of that relationship unscarred," Ms. Sauvé consoled.

"Unscarred? No, eight years and nothing to show for it! He left everything to Craig in a trust and even put it in his will that if anyone successfully challenged the terms, the Estate would award them One Dollar! One Dollar for all those years!" Adéle sobbed.

"You need to move on to other things and meet new people," Ms. Sauvé sighed.

"Clothilde, Albert was the only one who understood me,"Adéle sobbed.

"Sidonie Adéle Duvallier Brewster, it's over. It's finished! You need to move on!" Ms. Sauvé groaned.

"No, it's NOT over and I'm not finished! You move on! " Adéle boiled as she walked out of the marketplace.


	6. A Child Shall Lead

"**A Child Shall Lead" (Chapter Six)**

by Ennon

Disclaimer:"Degrassi:The Next Generation",its characters and dialogue are all the properties of Epitome Pictures and I'm making no profit from this whatsoever.

A/N- In this chapter, I'll be quoting some from episodes and the readers may think that one or more of the characters are OOC and the MO's presented here may be entirely different from what the original scriptwriters had in mind but I'm presenting something I think is a possibility. There's a major revelation coming up here that I've given small hints of throughout the story- the last one being in the last exchange in the previous chapter. Thanks again, Ava, for all your great reviews (and don't worry about questioning the date. It's good to see you were paying attention to detail). I look forward to reading more of them from you and anyone else who like to.

June,2003-Jeremiah Motors.

A tall,brunette woman with shoulder-length hair approached. She had on a knit, bust accentuating green blouse, a red miniskirt, strappy open-toed sandals and matching dark-red finger and toenail polish.

"Are you interested in a car, Miss?" Joey asked her- somewhat attracted to her.

"Call me Sydney! I have to admit I'm a bit reluctant to buy a used one from a non-chain dealer," Sydney pondered-after she shook Joey's hand.

"Oh, I can assure you that I've personally inspected and serviced every car on my lot! Can you tell me what you're in the market for?" Joey asked.

" A small car but with lots of extra horsepower under the hood, Mr. Jeremiah," Sydney exclaimed as she flashed her eyes.

"It's Joey," Joey laughed.

"Short for Joseph?" Sydney asked.

"No, Joey's what Ma named me and just about everyone calls me that," Joey explained.

"Everyone?" Sydney laughed.

"Well, Julia called me Joe!" Joey recalled.

"How about we negotiate the terms over lunch?" Sydney asked a bit later in Joey's trailer office.

"How does the Dot Grill sound?" Joey asked.

"I'd prefer somewhere more sedate and intimate,," Sydney beamed as she stretched out in the chair across from Joey's table.

"Uh. .." Joey replied uncomfortably.

"Are you intimidated by me? "Sydney laughed.

"No. ..it's just that. .. " Joey started to say.

"Are you married?" Sydney asked.

" Widowed four years,"Joey replied.

"Hmm, don't you think it might be time to. . .?" Sydney asked.

" Well, there's this old flame who I was thinking of rekindling things with. ." Joey sputtered.

"She's not here is she?" Sydney laughed.

"No, she's in LA but she popped in for my stepson's dad's funeral last month and I thought. ." Joey explained.

"Probably just wanted to do a friendly one-time gesture. If she were truly interested in pursuing anything more she'd have started making arrangements to move here, right?" Sydney purred.

"I guess so," Joey sputtered.

"Now, let's see about the negotiations,"Sydney beamed.

"So Ma. Tell me what you think about her?" Joey asked as he stopped by for coffee at Mrs. Doris Jeremiah's apartment-two months later.

"I sure hope she lives up to her billing," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah sighed quietly

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joey asked.

"It's . ." Mrs. Doris Jeremiah started to say.

"I know she's a strong woman but I thought you'd like that!" Joey said in astonishment.

"I do but are you sure it's just her sales clients she's pitching to?" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah asked.

"Ma, she's been wonderful to me, Angie-even Craig! "

"You never heard the old saying that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is?" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah asked.

"Ma! She likes all my friends and they all like her. She was good as gold to you!" Joey sputtered.

"Nobody's perfect," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah sighed.

"Julia was- and you were wrong about her,too!" Joey boiled.

" Julia herself understood that no mother worth their salt would jump at the idea of their son getting engaged to someone still married to someone else and had a child the woman ," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah groaned.

"It's only been two months. We're not thinking of marriage," Joey shuddered.

"You wouldn't have brought her here with Angie and Craig for dinner last night if the thought hadn't crossed your mind," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah pondered.

"Are you saying you wouldn't support me marrying her?" Joey asked.

"You and she kept talking about how she gets along great with everyone in your life but why would she adore every single person and thing connected to you instantly without the slightest hesitation?" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah asked.

"Because she loves me!" Joey proclaimed.

"Or maybe she wants you to think that!" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah scoffed.

"Ma, Julia loved all my friends and family!" Joey recalled.

"Julia was a true lady. She gave everyone a fair chance and was perfectly polite and considerate but her friendships with your friends didn't instantly happen. Sincere friendships usually grow over time!" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah exclaimed.

"Ma, you're not being fair! All my friends think. ..!" Joey boiled.

" You'll have many friends but you'll only have one mother,"Mrs. Doris Jeremiah snapped.

"I know," Joey groaned as he patted her shoulder.

"How about everyone in _her_ life?" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah asked.

"She gets along with her co-workers fine!" Joey insisted.

" Co-workers aren't necessarily friends . .and what about family?" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah asked.

"I told you, Ma, she had a brief marriage in college and has no close relatives left. She's been making her marketing career her life but wants to stop and smell the roses," Joey explained.

"Odd that she'd have never remarried until she found someone with two children he was responsible for,"Mrs. Doris Jeremiah pondered.

"Ma why do you have to be so cynical? Can't you at least give her half the chance you gave Julia? Is that too much to ask?" Joey pleaded while shaking his empty coffee cup.

"The first time you married. You only had yourself to consider risking everything for with no turning back. Now, you have two motherless children whose fates are also on the line here. Just make your decisions based on what's real instead of what want them to be!"Mrs. Doris Jeremiah pleaded as she took Joey's hand.

"I am and I have! I'm not a child!" Joey snapped as he clutched her hand, then abruptly let go then walked out of the apartment.

"You'll always be my child, though," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah sighed.

Degrassi Cafeteria- October, 2003

"Hey,Goldlilocks! What do you think you're doing putting contraband cooking in my cooler?" Sheila Alviera (the hairnetted Degrassi cafeteria supervisor) exclaimed early one weekday morning.

"Uhm, I was wondering if you'd serve this at lunch," the now-shaven-headed Snake groaned as he was caught taking a large aluminum dish out of its insulated carrier and into the cooler.

"Mr. Simpson, what is that?" the hairnet-clad, orange-uniformed Gavin'Spinner' Mason asked.

"It's seafood jambalaya. Joey's girlfriend Sydney says its good for the immune system with the extra Omega 3 fatty acids but. .. I can't eat it! It's totally greasy and it's got the blandest sauce and sausage I've ever tasted," Snake groaned.

"Can it be worse than Sheila's sauce?" Spinner laughed.

"Watch it, Princess!" Sheila snapped as she swatted the back of his hairnet.

"Is there a problem?" Ms. Sauvé asked as she came upon the scene.

"Nah! Just Goldlocks here trying to get Health Codes on my case by sneaking in unauthorized food into my food line,"Sheila sniffed.

"Yo, Mr. Simpson. I can eat it for you- look at all the beans!"Spinner beamed- as he opened the foil.

"You're not turning your intestines into a methane factory on MY time!" Sheila groaned.

"Did Christine make that?"Ms. Suavé asked.

"No, actually my friend Joey Jeremiah's girlfriend Sydney Brewster did! I don't want to hurt their feelings because she did it so I'd get better but I can't eat this and I was hoping to secretly donate it instead of sneaking it into the trash so it wouldn't be wasted,"Snake explained.

"Why can't you just tell her thanks for the effort but you can't eat it," Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Clothilde, Joey's been my best friend since way back and he's finally found a woman who'll take care of him and his family. I can't upset them anymore than Spike could when Sydney gave her inedible tofu salad when she was carrying Jack,"Snake groaned.

At a Toronto marketplace later that afternoon.

A/N- Be prepared for a revelation!

"So, you're going by Sydney Brewster now, Adéle?" Ms. Sauvé asked in French as she came across her childhood friend who henceforth will be referred to as Sydney (AKA Adéle) for the rest of the story (except when other characters are referring to her as Sydney or Adéle alone) to minimize reader confusion.

"I legally knocked out the two middle names and changed it to that five years ago!" Sydney(AKA Adéle) replied in French as they sat down at a table.

"But why?" Ms. Sauvé asked in French.

"Because folks in business decided that I had to go by my FIRST name instead of my middle one and few in Toronto could pronounce 'Sidonie' correctly. Someone garbled it to its English equivilent of 'Sydney' in official correspondence and I found it made things smoother to use it instead of constantly having to correct it, use my middle name or the initials," Sydney (AKA Adéle) explained in French.

"But why didn't you tell me?" asked Ms. Sauvé in French.

"Because you and Albert were virtually the last ones to call me by my old name and I wanted to keep at least one tie to my past,"Sydney (AKA Adéle) replied in French.

"So, have you found anyone new?"Ms. Sauvé asked- shifting to English.

"Why do you ask?" Sydney (AKA Adéle) asked.

" Maybe you have that inner glow that can't hide these things or maybe I happen to be a friend of your new 'friend's friend," Ms. Sauvé laughed after having made quotes with her fingers above her head.

"OK, I've found this wonderful man who adores my charms and wants to shout to the whole world about us! It's like a dream come true after all those years of being hidden and sneaking around!" Sydney (AKA Adéle) proclaimed.

"So why haven't you introduced him to me and Jean-Paul?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Oh, I guess I didn't want to jinx it,"Sydney (AKA Adéle) shrugged.

" So, have you told Joey Jeremiah about your years with Albert?" Ms, Sauvé asked (switching back to French).

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Sydney (AKA Adéle ) asked in French after taking in a short breath.

"Oh, perhaps, because you wouldn't want to chance him dumping you if he found out you stayed with someone for so long you knew to be so cruel to the woman Joey loved," Ms. Sauvé gravely intoned in French.

"I've.. ..told Joe about Albert. He understands that I was under Albert's power when I said and did those terrible things and was so unfair to poor Julia,"Sydney (AKA Adéle) proclaimed in French. 

"Hello, Mr. Jeremiah. …?" Ms. Sauvé started to say (in English,natch) into her cellphone before Sydney( AKA Adéle) grabbed it from her hand and hung it up.

" Please, give me some time to do so! I've worked very hard at this and I don't want it to be derailed prematurely. Don't I deserve a chance for true love and happiness?" Sydney (AKA Adéle) asked.

"Of course. It's just that you had great animosity towards Julia for so long and. .." Ms. Sauvé recalled.

"You know Albert never understood how Julia could have left a surgeon for a used car salesman. I think _I_ know! " Sydney (AKA Adéle) leeringly laughed.

"And what of poor Julia's memory?" Ms. Suavé asked.

"Poor Julia? She died at 31 more gorgeous than ever with her husband and children adoring her and her adoring them! I'm 33 and have nothing to show it but a career and the surname of a marriage that didn't last one college semester," Sydney (AKA Adéle) sighed.

"Her family's suffered terribly since her death," Ms. Suavé groaned.

"You'll have to forgive my former hostility towards Julia. I was under Albert's power at the time! Besides, Craig likes me along with little Angela. They so want a new mother and I'm more than happy to put those crafting and cooking skills your Mémé Bourgoyne taught me for Joe, them and their friends," Sydney (AKA Adéle) pleaded.

"All their friends?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"Well, there's this annoying gnat named Caitlin Ryan who was Joe's old fiancée; but , I put her in her place by pretending to have never previously heard of her when we met so she'd feel too guilty to try anything and be angry at Joe. Now I'm civil to her and pour coals on her head by kissing Joe in front of her every chance I can," Sydney (AKA Adéle) shrugged.

"Adéle! I was hoping you were through with those kinds of games!" Ms. Suavé groaned in French.

"I just have to protect what's mine," Sydney (AKA Adéle) insisted.

"Like you think Albert's money should have been?"Ms. Suavé scoffed in French.

"I've long since let go that. .."Sydney (AKA Adéle) snorted in English

"Joey was declared Craig's permanent legal guardian after Albert's death and marrying Joey might give you. ."Ms. Suavé pondered.

"You don't trust me! You don't approve of this" Sydney (AKA Adéle ) boiled.

"I happen to like the Jeremiah and Simpson Families and don't want anyone to get hurt!" Ms. Sauvé pleaded.

"The only person who could get hurt would be you- if you stupidly keep meddling in things that aren't your business!"Sydney (AKA Adéle) seethed.

"Is that a threat?" Ms. Sauvé asked.

" You wrote e-mails about a student's father to an outsider! That's a Breach of Confidence -an Automatic Terminable Offense!" Sydney (AKA Adéle) boiled.

"What?! But I was trying to save you from and you never acknowledged. .." Ms. Sauvé sputtered.

"At the time, I deleted those annoyances before I read them but I know to _NEVER_ empty out the Delete File-and after you caught up and told me in person  about Craig's actual schooling locale, I retrieved them for a rainy day," Sydney (AKA Adéle ) seethed.

"But. .." Ms. Sauvé gasped.

"And right now it's monsooning! It's your fault that Albert had that accident anyway!" Sydney (AKA Adéle) sneered.

"What?!" Ms. Sauvé asked.

"If you hadn't been so insistant on 'saving' me from Albert, I'd have not confronted him. He'd have been with me in Singapore instead of being on a cellphone when speeding. I could have shown him how perfect and orderly things are in Singapore and we could have started a new life together. "Sydney (AKA Adéle ) boiled in French. 

"I doubt he'd have held off beating you like he did Julia and Craig much longer and. ."Ms. Sauvé sighed.

"He hit me a few times and I hit him back but I'd waited too long and been through too much to let a few scuffles stand between what was due me," Sydney (AKA Adéle) shrugged.

"Oh, Adéle, I wish you had come to me, I could have gotten you . ." Ms. Sauvé pleaded as she took Sydney (AKA Adéle's ) hand.

" Help? I never needed that kind of help but you may need help starting a new career after I've put those pathetic e-mails in the School Board's hands," Sydney (AKA Adéle) boiled as she wrenched her hand free.

"Adéle!" Ms. Suavé gasped.

"Oh, I know you'd find some other way to help people. That's your downfall but think of all those snivelling teens with no other shoulder to blubber on at Degrassi! The School Board may refill your position with a total incompetent or not budget for a replacement at all,"Sydney (AKA Adéle) sighed.

"You wouldn't really do that. Think of all we went through as children and teens with only Mémé to save us from doom. Think of our friendship. ." Ms. Sauvé pleaded as she tried to grasp onto Sydney (AKA Adéle's ) hand again.

"A real friend wouldn't stand in the way of happiness after so much anguish- and you wouldn't want to chance all those teens being left helpless. So, you'd better do what's right for them, for you and for me and not say a word to Craig, the Jeremiah or Simpson Families or you'll find out what I'll _really_ do!" Sydney (AKA Adéle) seethed as she exited the marketplace.

Late December at the Jeremiah House. .

"What are you doing up so late, Kid?"15-year-old Craig asked as he saw Angela wander into the kitchen upon his return from seeing Ashley. ..and Manny (separately) on the same night.

"I messed up Sydney's dress and she's mad at me an' Caitlin,"6-year-old Angela groaned as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"What makes you think that?" Craig asked as he sat down opposite her.

"Because she said she was mad at Caitlin and I know she's mad at me for messing up her dress. I don't think she really likes me,"Angela sighed as she shook her head.

"But she takes you places and makes you things. ." Craig pondered.

"Yeah, but she also does that for Caitlin and she doesn't like her! Sydney just wants Daddy to think she likes us!"Angela groaned.

"Oh, I'm sure she didn't really mean that and just because someone's mad at you for doing something they don't like you doing doesn't mean they don't like you," Craig explained.

"Craig, I know that when I mess up and you, Daddy, Uncle Archie, Aunt Christy, Emma or Caitlin tell me to behave that all of you still really love me but I can tell it's not like that with Sydney!"Angela sighed.

"Maybe you should talk to Joey about. ."Craig pondered.

" I can't do that! He'll be unhappy again and I don't want Daddy to be unhappy like he was when he missed Mommy so much," Angela groaned.

"None of us do," Craig groaned.

" I know. Craig, why do grownups pretend to like people they don't?"Angela asked as she put her arm around his neck.

"Good question," Craig gulped.

"You think Sydney can like me again?" Angela asked.

"Kid, maybe Sydney had a bad day or something but try to behave the best you can and let me know if anything else like what happened tonight happens," Craig groaned as he hugged her shoulders and led her up the stairs to her room.

"Clothilde, why can't you sleep, _Amour_?" the bearlike, red haired 30-ish Jean-Paul Sauvé asked in their large bed.

"It just burns me up about Adéle but she's right that she could have my job and so many poor souls at Degrassi would have no one in their corner," Ms. Clothilde Sauvé sighed as she hugged him.

"You don't have to work there to help- and we'd get by fine with just my plumbing in our pot," Jean-Paul Sauvé laughed.

"Maybe I'll wait until after Christmas. Why should I spoil it for the Jeremiahs?"Ms. Suavé asked.

"Were the Emperor's subjects happier when they saw him naked and free of living a sham?" Jean-Paul Sauvé asked.

"I've never really considered that part of the story. Oh, how I love you, my Big Red Bear!" Ms. Sauvé beamed as they embraced.

"I know you'll do what's right. How could you not being Mémé Bourgoyne's granddaughter?"Jean-Paul Sauvé asked.

"You know I've quite a few cousins who'd prove that theory wrong but thanks!" Ms. Sauvé laughed as they continued their embrace for quite sometime thereafter.

Craig came into the Jeremiah House late in the afternoon the next day and opened the door to find Sydney(AKA Adéle) in the living room standing with Caitlin. He stood there quietly while the scene unfolded.

"I told you. ." Caitlin pleaded.

"A lie!" Sydney(AKA Adéle) boiled as she gave Caitlin a hateful glare," I'm not stupid, okay? I know you still have feelings for Joe and I understand. He is amazing!" 

"Sydney!"Caitlin gulped.

"But here's what I also know. Joe and his family need me. Not some charming, klutzy, fun and games blast-from-the-past. Me!" Sydney (AKA Adéle ) seethed as she gave Caitlin a far more intimidating glare than Caitlin could recall receiving..

"Sydney, I can't find it!" Joey called from upstairs.

"I'll be right there!" Sydney(AKA Adéle) replied without the slightest hint of having just been so deliberately cruel while Caitlin ran away quite shaken at not only the words themselves but even more so what she had seen in Sydney (AKA Adéle's) glare.

Craig ran after Caitlin and tried to put together what he'd just seen somewhat thankful that Sydney (AKA Adéle) hadn't once turned her head or glanced in his direction to have seen him be witness to this. He tried to catch up to Caitlin but she burst into tears as she wished him Merry Christmas and fled. He didn't know what to think but he was having his own dilemna with Ashley and Manny to give what he'd seen any real thought but did his best to avoid Sydney(AKA Adéle) the rest of the afternoon but wasn't sure how to approach Joey about this.

"Dude, I still think that the Drummer Boy and the Three Wise Men hip-hop act would have rocked!" Spinner laughed that next afternoon (in his suit) as they were getting ready for the Holiday Pageant.

"I guess," Craig said, dejectedly.

"Why are you so down? You're going to be duoing with Ash up there in a few minutes. Is it something with her?" Jimmy asked (dressed up in his costume of traditional Ethiopian royal robes).

"Yeah there is but there's something else,too," Craig sighed.

"Something with Joey?" Marco asked as he put on his feathered troubadour hat with his left hand and picked up his accordion with his right.

"It's Sydney. I think she's bad news," Craig groaned.

"What? Dude, she's hot and she makes that great seafood jambalaya that's kept my pipes clear!" Spinner laughed.

"What?! _That's_ why you've farted more than ever these last two months! Gross!"Jimmy groaned.

"Hey, Mr. Simpson didn't want it and can't eat . .." Spinner shrugged.

"What? You mean he's not said anything all this time because he hasn't wanted to hurt her or Joey's feelings?" Craig groaned.

"It's typical for Mr. Simpson to want to consider others," Marco pondered.

"Great! Snake's fighting to stay alive with chemo but instead of just telling them he doesn't like and can't eat the jambalaya, he's sneaking around like a child because of her! Angie's getting confused as to what to believe, thanks to her. And I don't doubt that Joey hasn't seen Grandma except when dropping me and Ange off at her place thanks to Sydney,too!" Craig boiled.

"Why are you being so suspicious of Sydney all of a sudden?" Jimmy asked.

"Because I saw something yesterday I'd only seen from one other person in my life that I'd hoped to have never seen again but it looks like I have but I don't know how to warn Joey without him hating me," Craig explained.

"What are. ..?" Marco started to ask.

"Those eyes became my Dad's! She might as well have been his twin sister!" Craig shuddered.

"Ew, Joey's dating your aunt? " Spinner asked.

"No, Spinner. She's not Dr. Manning's. . ." Jimmy tried to explain.

"I guess it's okay except that would make Joey your new uncle and Angie would be your stepcousin and half-sister,"Spinner pondered.

"Spinner. . ." Marco groaned.

"But. …"Craig sputtered.

"I don't know why we bother," Jimmy groaned as he shook his head.

"Jimmy, you're next! " Liberty exclaimed as she ran back to fetch him.

"Only three more spots to my duet with Ashley. I'll try to think of the right time!"Craig pondered as Jimmy took his prop staff and ran off.

"Jimmy did amazing monologue about the Balthazar the Wise Man bringing myrrh from Ethiopia to the Baby Jesus to preserve good and how the Ethiopians later carved out churches from solid bedrock to symbolize faith and hope moving mountains in times of adversity,"Marco sighed.

"But it's nothing compared to my solo!" Spinner laughed flashing his troublemaking grin as he ran out.

"And now Gavin Mason will sing his rendition of that classic carol, 'Hark the Herald Angel Sing'!" J.T. Yorke in his Dickensian suit announced to the audience.

"[BELCH]_ the Herald Angel sing._

[BELCH]_ to the Newborn King_!" Spinner sang to the resounding boos and groans of the audience before Mr. Raditch ran up to the stage and yanked him off.

Mr. and Mrs. Mason were furious and ran backstage to where Mr. Raditch was berating Spinner and Kendra wanted to crawl under the floor backstage but she hoped that her Chinese New Year's Dragon Dance in two more numbers would spare the Mason Family honour.

"Uhm. . .looks like Spinner got a little too much egg nog there! Heh! Heh! Now we present Toby Isaacs and the Sons of Abraham as he recites the Meaning of Hanukkah!" J.T. nervously announced.

After Toby and his friends finished, it was Craig and Ashley started their duet- before Ashley did the Slap Heard Around the World to Craig's face!

The outcome of Ashley's slap and Manny's rejection has been told many times before so nothing needs adding for the purposes of this story so we'll pick up the story to the hall outside Mr. Raditch's office where so many of Craig's worst moments had taken place. Ms. Sauvé had missed what had happened onstage due to filling out zillions of forms in her office so she'd have extra time to holiday with Jean-Paul but she left it to seek out Craig or Joey (knowing they'd be the Pageant) to level with them about Sydney (AKA Adéle) but she stopped when she observed them in the hallway together.

"Joey, why are you telling me this?" Craig asked in frustration.

"The point is life will go on and you'll get over this!" Joey declared.

"You and Caitlin never got over each other. Everyone knows. Sydney knows," Craig groaned.

"What does Sydney know?"Joey asked.

"Maybe a lot more than she's letting you think," Craig groaned.

"What do you mean? "Joey asked.

"I know if Mom were still alive, no one else would even be on your screen but you love Caitlin not Sydney," Craig sighed.

"And you think Sydney thinks this?" Joey pondered.

"Joey, I thought if I gave everyone everything they wanted, I'd have the best Christmas possible but Christmas isn't about getting the best gift but about being willing to sacrifice for those you love even if they hate you for it," Craig implored.

"What are you planning to sacrifice?" Joey asked.

"Joey, I know you've been trying to tell yourself that Sydney makes you happy and I want you to be happy but is that happiness real?" Craig asked.

"What do you mean?" Joey asked.

"I've been waiting for the right time to talk to you about this but there's no right time and things are getting worse. The other day Sydney got mad at Angie and Caitlin for Angie spilling stuff on her dress," Craig recalled.

"Sydney wasn't angry at Angie. She was a little miffed at Caitlin's decision but not her," Joey pondered.

"Joey, Angie told me she believed Sydney was mad at both of them," Craig groaned.

"Craig, Angie's just a kid. You know how sensitive kids can be. ." Joey rationalized.

" I tried to reason with Angie about Sydney not being angry at her but she knew. Kids can tell when adults are angry at them- and not just at what mess they've made!"Craig plantively intoned.

"I'll talk to Sydney and see if she can smooth things over with. ." Joey groaned.

"Angie kept referring to that dress as Sydney's not hers!" Craig sighed.

"Sydney made and gave it to. ." Joey replied.

"Yeah, just like Dad gave me that darkroom, camera and all that equipment. He never let me forget that he'd bought them and they were his to take away or destroy at will- not mine! Outsiders thought he spoiled me but it was just to impress them he bought all this stuff. By the time I left his home, I barely thought even the clothes on my back were mine- that's why I took only what I could carry in one trip,"Craig recalled with a shudder.

"Are . .. you saying what I think you're saying? That's a very big leap!" Joey gasped.

"It's not that big a leap from getting mad at someone for spilling something then saying you aren't mad to belting someone for not using a coaster then telling them you love them," Craig cried.

"Just from that you think. ..?"Joey gasped.

"Joey, she's gotten everyone to jump through her hoops these past six months. Even though it wasn't even her Christmas tree or house, she practically had us wreck the living room just to turn that tree to fit her idea of perfect!" Craig groaned.

"But Snake and Spike. .." Joey pondered.

"Snake should be using every bit of energy he can to fight that cancer but he's been wasting a lot of it sneaking Sydney's seafood jambalaya 'care packages' to Spinner because he can't stand the food but doesn't want to hurt Sydney's feelings and get you upset,"Craig groaned.

"Nobody's perfect and I know Sydney has some strict ideas but these little things. ." Joey groaned.

"Add up to a pattern but they're nothing compared to what Sydney said to Caitlin in the living room yesterday that chilled the blood in my veins," Craig recalled with a shudder.

"What did she say exactly?" Joey asked.

"It wasn't so much what she said but the cold,cruel, reptille glare that gave me the worst feeling. Sydney didn't just want Caitlin to walk away. She wanted to make Caitlin feel guilty for daring to still love you and even for being alive! She wanted her dead like Mom and would have gloated if Caitlin had jumped off the CN Tower,"Craig shuddered.

"Why do you think all this?"Joey asked on the verge of tears.

"Because I've only seen one other person do this- then perfectly fake to everyone else that they were being honestly friendly and helpful to the person whose soul they intended to destroy. My Dad,"Craig seethed.

"Craig!" Joey gasped.

"I spent my whole childhood and a good part of my teens wondering what I could do to make him love me as much as he claimed and I'm still trying to sort out the fact that he hated Mom and me for knowing the real him. He'd always say that he hurt us because he loved us," Craig groaned.

"And Sydney would have to know that Caitlin walking away permanently would hurt me. Caitlin's one of the strongest people I've ever met and if Sydney could cause her to melt down. What about Angie?" Joey gulped.

"And what about you?" Craig asked.

"I don't know," Joey shuddered.

"Just tell Sydney what I overheard and ask her why she did it. Her answer will tell all,"Craig pleaded.

"Okay, tell me exactly what Sydney said. .." Joey groaned- as the Holiday Pageant was about to break up.

"Ms. Sauvé, I didn't hear you come by, "Craig gulped as Joey left him behind having heard him repeat what Sydney (AKA Adéle) had said.

"It's okay! I 'm sorry to have eavesdropped but I just want to tell you that I can't help but think your mother Julia would be so proud of you for using what you've learned via a nightmare to protect your family. May I kiss your right cheek?"Ms.Sauvé asked.

"Sure, it may be the only kiss it gets," Craig half-laughed as Ms. Sauvé hugged him maternally and kissed his right cheek while he hugged her back as would a son.

"It's great that you wanted to prevent your baby sister from going through what you did. No matter what else use what you've done for her and your stepdad today as something to draw strength from!" Ms. Sauvé beamed as she walked away.

"Thanks!" Craig beamed, happy for the first time in some days.

"You've given me hope and inspiration to keep doing that right thing! _Joyeux Noël_!"Ms. Sauvé exclaimed.

"Did you say something to make Caitlin go away?" Joey asked- after seeing Sydney (AKA Adéle) catch her breath when he told her that Craig had seen the two together the day before.

"Yes," Sydney (AKA Adéle) groaned as she gave Joey an evil look.

"And why would you do that?" Joey asked.

"She's supposed to be your ex," Sydney (AKA Adéle ) protested.

"She is," Joey sighed.

"You sure? I put a lot into this, Joe! I want this to work. I **need** this to work. .because I love you!" Sydney (AKA Adéle) pleaded as she looked into Joey's eyes.

Joey looked down. He now knew she was desperate to take over his life and family- and knew that behind her eyes was pure evil. Evil that would misuse the term 'love' as a means to accomplish those goals.

"But you don't feel the same," Sydney (AKA Adéle ) seethed.

"Sydney,"Joey groaned.

"Tell me I'm your first choice! Tell me you love me more than Caitlin. Right. That's what I thought," Sydney (AKA Adéle) seethed as she walked away- hoping he'd call after her and beg her to come back.

"Sydney. ." Joey called to her through the crowd.

"Yes, Joe?" Sydney (AKA Adéle) beamed- as she was certain this trick which had always worked on Albert and every other man she'd been with had proven effective.

"Two things I need to tell you!" Joey shouted.

"What Joe?" Sydney (AKA Adéle ) asked with baited breath.

"One is that even if I live another century, I'll always consider Julia to be my first choice above everyone else," Joey exclaimed.

"So, I'm the 2nd?" Sydney (AKA Adéle ) asked in a deliberately pitiful tone.

"No, Caitlin is. After what I've found out you've put my family and friends through, you're not even in the top trillion!" Joey boiled.

"Joe," Sydney (AKA Adéle ) started to cry.

"And one more thing! I'm the one who decides who and _what_ my family and I need- NOT you!" Joey exclaimed 

"How can you be so cruel?" Sydney (AKA Adéle )asked while she burst into tears.

"Osmosis," Joey declared in a low voice as he looked directly into and behind her eyes and saw for the very first time the evil that lurked within as Sydney (AKA Adéle) pushed through the crowd and fled into the parking lot- furious that she'd been so publicly rejected.

Ms. Sauvé was about to get into her car when. ..

"Please, Clothilde! Take me to your place for coffee. I don't deserve to be alone at Christmastime," Sydney (AKA Adéle) sobbed.

"No! I don't have any coffee to spare for you," Ms. Sauvé snapped.

"But we're friends. Your Mémé would have wished that," Sydney (AKA Adéle) sobbed.

"We both were rescued from horrible situations as girls and I thought you were the same friend I'd grown up with but . ."Ms. Sauvé groaned.

"I can change!" Sydney (AKA Adéle) begged.

"You already have but not for the better. I suppose it was the sentimentality of our shared childhood along with not wanting to believe someone I had loved as a sister could be evil that kept me around. Then, too, psychiatry teaches to try to find the cause. Sometimes, some of us get explanations confused with justification," Ms. Sauvé groaned.

"But. ." Sydney (AKA Adéle) gasped.

"I'll always mourn that little girl named Adéle eaten from the inside by Sydney and whose skin Sydney has used for camouflage but I can never trust or believe you again," Ms. Sauvé seethed.

"But I can change back," Sydney (AKA Adéle) pleaded.

" I know you can change your surface again but not what's inside because you don't want to," Ms. Sauvé sighed.

"But your Mémé Bourgoyne. ." Sydney (AKA Adéle) begged.

"Lived the last seven years of her otherwise wonderful long life losing who she was. Do you know that four years before she died, I showed her pictures to try to help her hang onto what memories she had left as long as possible. She pointed to your picture and she said 'serpent bites tail'- one of the last coherent phrases she said," Ms. Sauvé groaned.

"But. .."Sydney (AKA Adéle ) asked in puzzlement.

"I thought she was totally out of it but now I see that God gave her one last chance to warn me about you- as had Julia. That's why you avoided Mémé and that's why you hated Julia so much- because they knew who you really are while I buried my head in the sand," Ms. Sauvé boiled.

"I didn't mean it about your job," Sydney(AKA Adéle) sniffed.

"I came here tonight to warn the Jeremiahs about you but I saw that Julia's children were able to reach Joey to get him to see what he needed to see to save them all from you," Ms. Sauvé beamed.

"But I was under Albert's power. You have to understand," Sydney (AKA Adéle) pleaded.

"Save it for a talk show! I'm angry that he hit you and no one deserves to be hit but you've always done what suited you and exploited everyone else's need for love," Ms. Sauvé boiled.

"Are you going to tell them. .. everything?" Sydney (AKA Adéle) sniffed.

"Not at this point! Unlike Albert and you, I don't believe in kicking folks when they're down!" Ms. Sauvé sighed.

"I'm sorry about the threats and. .." Sydney (AKA Adéle) sobbed.

" No, they showed your true colours and I was ready to risk being terminated. Thankfully, the Jeremiah Family managed to save themselves in spite of my hesitation. I'm deeply ashamed at not listening to Julia's warning about you and not warning the Jeremiahs when I first discovered your new ties- and I never want to see, hear from or hear of you ever again! Goodbye, Sidonie Adéle Duvallier Brewster!" Ms. Sauvé boiled as she slammed her car door in her childhood friend's face then speeded away.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Snake groaned as he chauffered the Jeremiah Family to the airport in his Jeep.

"Would you quit apologizing already? You're the best friend I could have ever had and nothing will ever change that!"Joey exclaimed.

"Thanks! I'll park the car! You three need to do this on your own!"Snake exclaimed.

"You think it's too late?" Joey asked Craig as they were making their way to the smaller private plane field at Toronto International Airport.

"I'm not sure but we're with you all the way!" Craig exclaimed.

"Thanks for everything! I'll never forget what you did for me and Angie!"Joey beamed.

"I hope you're not too late because I'd hate for you to be alone again," Craig sighed.

"Even if Caitlin is gone for good, I'm not alone. I've got your Mom's spirit with me forever- and we three will be a family no matter what!" Joey exclaimed as he hugged Craig and Angie.

"Craig was right about Mom watching us from Heaven!" Angie beamed.

"He sure was, Baby! Caitlin or no, we're all going to go to Grandma's after this. I think I owe her big!" Joey laughed as they made their way to Caitlin's plane- before Joey was able to successfully reach Caitlin and they were reunited.

At virtually the very same moment, Sydney Brewster(formerly known as Sidonie Adéle Duvallier Brewster) accepted a marketting offer in Singapore. They were quite impressed by her skills, qualifications and fluency in French, English and Chinese. Sydney was able to give her resignation, pay off her lease, sell her car, find a new apartment and bank account online in Singapore and even get her belongings packed for shipping. She'd leave Canada forever on New Year's Day from the International Terminal at Toronto International Airport to start her new life in Singapore. She never knew that it would be months before anyone outside her Toronto firm even bothered to check up on her from the time she left the Degrassi Community School Parking Lot.

-FIN-

A/N- I hope you liked it! Feel free to review and ask questions. Thanks for reading this!


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